Kelsey Weiss, Pullman Regional Hospital registered nurse, was nominated for and honored with the DAISY Award, an international nursing award. 

Weiss said she joined the hospital three years ago after completing her clinical hours and preceptorship at PRH. A preceptorship is when a nursing student is mentored by a practicing nurse, according to NCBI. She currently serves on the night shift in the Medical Surgical Unit, but working at a smaller hospital also has given Weiss the opportunity to explore other roles and departments. 

The DAISY Award was created in memory of Patrick Barnes, a Hodgkin’s Disease survivor, according to the DAISY Foundation website. During Patrick’s stay at the hospital, he and his family were amazed by the way the nurses did not only care for him medically but also how they treated him with compassion. When Patrick died, his loved ones created The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses program for people to thank nurses who go above in beyond in their compassion toward their patients.

Weiss was nominated for the award by the daughter of one of her patients, according to a press release from PRH. The daughter described Weiss as an “angel watching over [the patient].” Weiss cared for this patient by treating her dry skin with lotion and giving her baths, even when that care ran over the end of her shift. 

Weiss said the award means the care she puts into her job, and her hard work is not unnoticed. The nomination is a recognition that someone sees the love and joy she has for people.

Weiss advocates for both her patients and other staff, said Verna Yockey, director of the Medical Surgical Unit and the Intensive Care Unit at PRH. Weiss works to improve processes on the medical floor and picks up extra shifts without impacting her level of care.

COVID-19 has caused PRH to be short-staffed, Weiss said. The community at PRH has stepped up to make sure everyone who needs help is getting it. Employees acknowledge that the work they are doing is important to them, and the hospital is where they need to be.

Yockey said she hires an average of one nurse per year. Weiss was working with one of the nursing staff for her preceptorship when PRH staff members told Yockey they had to hire Weiss because she was so fantastic. 

Despite being a new nurse, Weiss is now serving as a preceptor mentor for new employees and graduates, Yockey said.

“She is a wonderful teacher,” Yockey said. “She has a way of evaluating people and giving very constructive feedback.”

As a person who is caring and loving, Weiss said one of the hardest parts of her job is being away from her own family. However, PRH has a family atmosphere Weiss said she did not experience in other clinics she had worked in.

Interacting with patients is Weiss’ favorite part of the job. She enjoys visiting with her patients and hearing their stories. She wants to know how they came to be at the hospital, whether for knee surgery or surgical removal of the patients’ kidneys. She said being at the hospital is a scary and vulnerable time, and she works to help them feel safe and at home. 

“I’m here just to help you get better and make sure everything goes right and smooth,” Weiss said. “I also want you to feel like you’re welcome here as well and that you are well taken care of.”