Poplar Bluff, Missouri – Kimberly Jeffery, a nurse with the John J. Pershing VA Medical Center’s West Plains clinic, has been honored with The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses ®. The award is part of the DAISY Foundation’s mission to recognize the extraordinary, compassionate nursing care they provide patients and families every day.
Jeffery was nominated by a colleague who said “I have started to write this several times and stopped because I did not feel the words were big enough to express what I wanted… I have watched several times when something needed to be taken care of – even for other clinics – she always covers the need. If she hears anything about a patient who has been waiting longer than they should, she doesn’t wait to be asked; she jumps in. She juggles multiple clinics, tasks, patients…yet (is) always willing to help with one more thing – all the while keeping a smile on her face. She is caring, compassionate, and energetic…she exemplifies the VA core values of Integrity, Commitment, Advocacy, Respect and Excellence. Not only is she respectful of each Veteran who walks through our door, but during this period of being extremely short-staffed she has been nothing but respectful to each of her fellow co-workers, never complaining when caring for more than her share.”
Jeffery, a registered nurse from West Plains, said of receiving the award, “I was very surprised, grateful, and moved that my co-workers had such nice things to say. I am just truly humbled. Although, I was honestly just happy to be doing the best job in the world – being a nurse for MY Veterans. They are family!
Jeffery’s husband and brother are both Army Veterans. “My husband is my biggest inspiration for becoming a VA Nurse. As an Army wife, it was very important for me to give back to the most giving and selfless people and make a difference in their lives,” she said.
The award included a sculpture called The Healer’s Touch. Hand-carved by artists in Zimbabwe, each piece is signed by one of the many Shona artists that The DAISY Foundation supports. “The economy and politics of Zimbabwe have been in turmoil for decades, and the artists are able to support hundreds of people in their families with this work,” according to the DAISY Foundation.
Chandra Miller, Interim Medical Center Director at the John J. Pershing VA Medical Center, said, “Kim exhibits the highest standards of professionalism and compassion and is very deserving of this award. We are proud to be among the healthcare organizations participating in The DAISY Award program. Nurses are heroes every day. It’s important that our nurses know their work is highly valued, and The DAISY Foundation provides a way for us to do that.”
The DAISY Foundation is a not-for-profit organization, established in memory of J. Patrick Barnes, by members of his family. Patrick died at the age of 33 in late 1999 from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), a little known but not uncommon auto-immune disease. (DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System.) The care Patrick and his family received from nurses while he was ill inspired this unique means of thanking nurses for making a profound difference in the lives of their patients and patient families.
Nurses may be nominated by patients, families, and colleagues by dropping off a completed form in any of the DAISY boxes around the medical center and its outpatient clinics. The award recipient is chosen by a committee at John J. Pershing VA Medical Center. Awards are presented throughout the year at celebrations attended by the Honoree’s colleagues, patients, and visitors. Each Honoree receives a certificate commending her or him as an “Extraordinary Nurse.” The certificate reads: “In deep appreciation of all you do, who you are, and the incredibly meaningful difference you make in the lives of so many people.”
In addition to the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses, the Foundation expresses gratitude to the nursing profession internationally in over 3,900 healthcare facilities and schools of nursing with recognition of direct care Nurses, Nurse-led Teams, Nurse Leaders, Nursing Faculty, Nursing Students, through the J. Patrick Barnes Grants for Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice Projects and for nurses participating in medical missions. More information is available at http://DAISYfoundation.org
