Concordia’s nursing program announced the spring DAISY award winners: senior nursing student Lauren Zanotti and junior award recipient Marryn Dalager.
The DAISY Award is a national program that recognizes above-and-beyond care that nurses provide to patients. The DAISY Foundation has expanded its award program to recognize exceptional nursing students. The Concordia program awards two students, one at the senior level and one at the junior level, twice per year. Nominations come from faculty, clinical instructors, staff, and peers.
“Lauren received a nomination from her nurse internship through Sanford Health in the oncology unit,” said Amanda Tracy, assistant professor of nursing at Concordia. “Lauren demonstrated the ability to utilize therapeutic communication during her internship, which can be especially difficult in oncology and with end-of-life care. She also demonstrated her inquisitiveness as she continually seeks optimal understanding of her role as a nurse in patient care.”
“Lauren was also nominated by two nursing faculty members,” Tracy added. “One of the nominations spoke to her work as a student lab assistant working with and mentoring students while the other nomination recognized her for her kindness, thoughtful questions to facilitate learning, her hard work, and as a natural leader for her peers.”
Zanotti was thankful for the nursing faculty and her fellow nursing students who she said were all deserving of recognition for their achievements.
“Winning a DAISY Award is one of the highest honors as a nurse, even more so as a nursing student,” Zanotti said. “The most influential person throughout nursing school has been my incredible preceptor in the oncology unit where I was a nurse intern. She is the kind of nurse I hope to be, and I was so lucky to learn from her and share our passion for oncology patients. This award should be shared with her!”
Several students were also senior nominees. All senior nominees (pictured from left with
Tracy said Dalager was nominated by three nursing faculty members.
“Marryn stands out in her engagement in all settings (class, clinical, lab), and her eagerness to learn and excel in every course subject, as well as in her ability to demonstrate her caring attitude toward others,” Tracy said. “Marryn puts in the extra effort always in providing safe care and in how she looks for opportunities for learning. She also cares about her learning, her patient populations, and her peers in a deeply genuine way. She epitomizes the virtues of reliability, constancy, honesty, and caring in nursing.”
Dalager was excited about the award and appreciative of her fellow students and instructors.
“I am absolutely honored to be the DAISY Award recipient for spring semester,” Dalager said. “I have outstanding professors, clinical instructors, and fellow classmates who push and encourage me every day to be a better student and future nurse. Having such a strong community of support in the Concordia nursing program has made all the difference in my experience as a student.”
All junior nominees (pictured l-r each row from back): Mauricio Miranda, Caroline Ronning, Camille Hagen, Cassidy Quiner, Avery Kenning, Morgan Weinand, Katelyn Nelsen, and Marryn Dalager.