08 Oct DAISY Award: Primary Care Nurse Emilie Kuster, RN, Named Extraordinary Nurse
Primary Care Nurse Emilie Kuster Named DAISY Extraordinary Nurse
Emilie Kuster, ARNP, recently received the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses®. The award, created by the DAISY Foundation, recognizes the extraordinary, compassionate nursing care provided to patients and families every day.
Kuster was recognized for her work as a primary care nurse practitioner at Olympic Medical Physicians, where she provided care for patients out of the Medical Office Building in Port Angeles. Kuster recently started a new position out of the area, and she accepted her award via mail.
A patient’s husband nominated Kuster for the DAISY award, writing:
“My wife was suffering from uncontrollable diarrhea, muscle spasms, dizziness, etc. These symptoms were making her life unmanageable. We wrote down a complete list of her current medications, her symptoms, and our best guess at what she and I thought might be possible causes of her condition. Emilie agreed to see us at 4:15 p.m. on a Friday afternoon, about the time I presume most staff are looking forward to a nice weekend.
First Emilie read through the entire written list we had submitted. Then she questioned my wife at length, asking about her physical symptoms, as well as her emotional symptoms. She also examined her physically. It appeared to me that Emilie already had a list of possible causes and was working through that list as she talked to my wife. Almost immediately, Emilie decided to change my wife’s blood pressure med, Lisinopril to Losartan. Then she ordered a number of tests, including an EKG, blood tests, etc. She then discussed with us a number of possible causes and explained that the testing she was ordering was intended to eliminate some of those possible causes.
I am not a trained medical provider, but I am a retired Electronic Design Engineer. I know problem-solving when I see it. As I watched Emilie treat my wife, I got a strong feeling that my wife was in the hands of an intelligent, trained, experienced, and rational care provider. For the first time in a long time, I felt a great sense of relief that my wife was being treated in a competent and caring manner. I felt that finally, we were on track to get to the bottom of my wife’s current health problems.”
Olympic Medical nurses may be nominated by patients, families and colleagues. 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.” Honorees also receive a DAISY Award pin and a meaningful, hand-carved sculpture called A Healer’s Touch.
About the DAISY Foundation
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 an 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. More information can be found at DAISYfoundation.org.