MARYVILLE – Yuka Saathoff, RN of Anderson Hospital was recently honored with The DAISY Award® For Extraordinary Nurses. The award is part of the DAISY Foundation’s programs to recognize the super-human efforts nurses perform every day.
OB patient, Amanda Church, nominated Saathoff. Church, a nursing student, was admitted in early labor at 37 weeks. Her nurse, Yuka Saathoff, RN, had actually switched shifts that day with a coworker and was assigned to Church.
“When I met Yuka, I could tell she was special. She thoroughly explained my epidural and her plan to help me throughout labor and delivery. We loved her personality. She was at all times professional, but put us at ease with her sense of humor.”
Church’s son was born at 1:15 a.m. but had a low Apgar score. Apgar is a quick test performed on a baby at 1 and 5 minutes after birth. The 1-minute score determines how well the baby tolerated the birthing process.
Tests quickly revealed a few other complications and he was transferred to NICU at Cardinal Glennon.
“As a nursing student, it was scary knowing more of what was happening clinically, and Yuka answered all my questions. She stayed after her shift to see us through. I often wonder how different my experience would have been had Yuka not switched shifts that day and thank my lucky stars she did!”
The not-for-profit DAISY Foundation is based in Glen Ellen, CA, and was established by family members in memory of J. Patrick Barnes. 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. 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.
Bonnie Barnes, FAAN, Doctor of Humane Letters (h.c) and Co-Founder of The DAISY Foundation, said: “When Patrick was critically ill, our family experienced first-hand the remarkable skill and care nurses provide patients every day and night. Yet these unsung heroes are seldom recognized for the super-human work they do. The kind of work the nurses at Anderson Hospital are called on to do every day epitomizes the purpose of The DAISY Award.”
In addition to the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses, the Foundation expresses gratitude to the nursing profession internationally in over 5,000 healthcare facilities and schools of nursing with recognition of Nurse-led Teams, Nurse Leaders, Nurses Advancing Health Equity, Nursing Faculty, Nursing Students, Lifetime Achievement in Nursing and through the J. Patrick Barnes Grants for Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice Projects, Medical Mission Grants and their new Health Equity Grant programs. More information is available at http://DAISYfoundation.org.
