BENNINGTON, Vt. — Registered Nurse Amanda Shakar has been named Southwestern Vermont Health Care's (SVHC) first recipient of the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses.

 

"Our nurses truly pour their whole hearts and minds into the work they do every day," Pamela Duchene, PhD, APRN, vice president of Patient Care Services and chief nursing officer said. "The DAISY Award is a way for SVHC to ensure that our nurses receive recognition and praise for their compassionate and highly skilled work."

 

Duchene made the announcement earlier this month during a surprise presentation in the Southwestern Vermont Medical Center intensive care unit. Shakar was nominated by a patient and selected from several nominations.

 

"I am extremely humbled and touched to be recognized as the first SVHC DAISY Award Recipient," Shakar said. "This award acknowledges the unique and important bond that nurses share with their patients and the families they care for."

 

Shakar holds two baccalaureate degrees and received her associate's degree in nursing through Vermont Technical College in 2015. She is currently pursuing her MSN at Chamberlain University. She started working at SVMC in 2017 and specializes in critical care nursing. She trains and precepts new nurses, is a certified BLS instructor, and is a member of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. She also co-chairs SVHC's evidence-based practice council and co-facilitates SVMC's nursing journal club.  

 

"I accept this award with the acknowledgement that a nurse is only as good as her leadership and teammates," Shakar said. "They inspire me and teach me every day."

 

The DAISY Award is part of a national merit-based recognition program established by the DAISY Foundation. It celebrates nurses' education, training, and skill. Nominations can be submitted by patients, families, physicians, and colleagues. All nominations are blinded, so that they are anonymous before being reviewed by a selection committee. One nurse is then chosen as the DAISY Award winner. DAISY Awards are presented on a regular basis, usually bi-monthly or quarterly.