BENNINGTON, Vt. — Kathleen Cloud, RN, of the Emergency Department (ED), was the April recipient of the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses at Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC).

 

"What patients notice most about Kat is her professional and caring manner. She knows how to make room, even during a very busy shift, for what matters most," said Pamela Duchene, PhD, APRN, SVHC's chief nursing officer and vice president for Patient Care Services. "We are so grateful to have Kat working in our Emergency Department."

 

Duchene gave the award during a surprise presentation in the Emergency Department at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC) on the morning of April 11, 2022.

 

Cloud received two nominations from patients.

 

The first nominator wrote, "Kat has…, every time, displayed the utmost respect for me as a patient, a mother, a woman… and is just one of the nicest, [most] accurate, and caring nurses."

 

The second nominator described her as "beyond professional… With everything that was going on in the ER, she kept her composure and went above and beyond for  other patients and myself… She was, for lack of a better word, incredible."

 

On having received the award during the surprise ceremony, Cloud was "emotionally excited." "It's a bit deal to get the recognition."  

 

Cloud holds an associate's in nursing from Vermont Tech and is due to finish her bachelor's in nursing at Castleton University within the next 3 months. She has worked as an RN at SVMC for 8 years, before which she worked as an ED tech and an Emergency Department support staff member.

 

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.