McKenna Jackson, Registered Nurse, Receives DAISY Award

McKenna Jackson, a Registered Nurse at Rapid City Hospital Labor and Delivery, has received the prestigious DAISY Award. A national program, the award is presented to nurses who go above and beyond for their patients and community. She was nominated by two patients.

One patient wrote, “I was brought into Monument Health due to complications with my pregnancy. Unfortunately, they were not able to get me a room for several hours. I was already tired and frustrated, but MJ was my nurse that night. She was amazing and made it an enjoyable experience despite all the delays!” The patient continued, “She checked on me constantly to ensure I was comfortable and that I wasn’t having any additional issues. Anything I needed or asked for she made sure I got.”

Another patient shared, “My sister joined me at the hospital because my husband was deployed. MJ was so caring and compassionate. She connected with us and made us feel so welcomed and comfortable. … As a twin herself, she connected so well with my twin sister and I. We shared a lot of similarities and just loved conversing. She was so empathetic about my husband being deployed.” The nomination continued, “I really had no idea what to expect and she just continued to make my experience so comfortable. After I delivered and was moved to post-partum, she made a point to come by to check on me and my baby. She went above and beyond and made my overall hospital experience just amazing.”

The DAISY Award recognizes the outstanding professionalism and compassion that nurses bring to patients and families every day. It was established by the DAISY Foundation in California in memory of J. Patrick Barnes, who died at age 33 of an autoimmune disease. DAISY is an acronym for “diseases attacking the immune system.” Nurses in Rapid City are selected 12 times a year for this recognition. Nurses are also honored in Custer, Lead-Deadwood, Spearfish and Sturgis. Visit monument.health/daisy to nominate.