DAISY Award Recipient Unpacks the Gratifying Field of Nursing

Simulation educator and adjunct nursing faculty, Naomi Bretschneider, RN, CCRN, says that “nursing is more than just a job.” As a DAISY Award recipient, Bretschneider understands how impactful and gratifying the world of nursing can be. The DAISY Award is a recognition program that honors the work nurses do for their patients and families every day. Nurses are eligible for nomination by anyone in the organization who experiences or observes extraordinary compassionate care provided by a nurse. 

Bretschneider was nominated for the DAISY Award by two students in her clinical section. Receiving the award was a huge event for her, as it has reminded her of “the human connection and caring” being “equally or more important than the knowledge and skill aspects of nursing.”  

In the Fall of 2013, Bretschneider began teaching clinicals at HPU. Despite how overwhelmed her students may get by the amount of knowledge that they must learn, Bretschneider always reminds them that though they mainly serve their patients, they will also end up with “their own tank filled from the gratification of helping others.” As a nursing instructor, she describes how she is often inspired by her students as much as she inspires them. Bretschneider acknowledges her nursing students emulating care that nurses are proud of. “They lift each other up, hold their patient’s hand during a painful intervention, and cry and laugh with family members as if they’re their own.” 

Bretschneider dedicates herself to improving her teaching and learning style as she learns from her colleagues, receives feedback from students, and continues her own education while mentoring the new generation of nurses to continue in her footsteps.

-By Irene Abut, Communication and Marketing Student Assistant