Taylor Burr, Registered Nurse, Receives DAISY Award

Taylor Burr, a Registered Nurse at Spearfish Hospital, 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 a patient.

The patient wrote, “Taylor and I had become acquainted during my several stays in the hospital in 2019.  At that time, Taylor was working the main floor and had since transferred to the surgical department. When I expressed my familiarity with Taylor, I was informed that she also remembered me as a former patient, which I found flattering as I am just a typical old, worn-out cowboy of 60 years young, and nothing special that would warrant her remembering me.”

The nomination continued, “Taylor’s personable nature makes her the perfect caregiver. When people like me meet people like her, it’s in the context of being wounded or ailing and at our most vulnerable. Taylor has the natural ability to convert the milk of human kindness which flows through her veins into a healing balm which she readily and liberally distributes to those of us lucky enough to be in her care. You can’t teach that in Nursing school.”

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.