It is more than just a job for two Stewart Memorial Community Hospital (SMCH) nurses who were recently presented with Daisy Awards. Established in 1999 in memory of J. Patrick Barnes, who died from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura, the award is a way to thank the nurses across the country for their compassionate care, not only for their patients but for the families as well. This year, Ashley Mork, RN and Jeremy Johnson, CRNA were recognized for the ways they have gone above and beyond in that respect. Mork has been with the Lake City hospital’s medical/surgical team since 2015 as an OB nurse and also serves as a nurse educator. She was nominated by a patient who says, “She was definitely our advocate and listened to me—which is a HUGE part of being so deserving of the Daisy Award. […] She was by my side working (what I felt) just as hard as I was.” Certified advanced registered nurse anesthetist, Johnson, came to Stewart Memorial in 2016. He too was nominated by a patient, one whose epidural did not go as planned. “The next morning, Jeremy tells me he’d been thinking a ton of why it happened and what the ‘plan’ will be next time,” the patient wrote. […] “He chose to go ‘above and beyond’ by talking with me the next day, and wanting to take extra steps to make sure the next time goes much smoother!” Chief Nursing Officer, Kari Jones, says these nurses often do not realize they are doing anything special. She asks every Daisy Award winner to pause and realize how very special they are and how they make the world a better place…just by doing those jobs.
