Emporia nurse honored for compassion during National Nurses Week

EMPORIA, Kan. (WIBW) - An RN in Emporia has been honored for the compassion she shows patients each day in her profession as the nation marks National Nurses Week.

During National Nurses Week, Newman Regional Health says Aquisha Livingston, RN at the Same Day Surgery Center, was recently honored with the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses. The award is part of the DAISY Foundation’s efforts to recognize the laborious profession.

Officials noted that Livingston received a whopping five nominations. Each spoke of her friendliness, kindness, competency and dedication.

“This is not a story of a life-saving or dramatic situation; it is just the story of a nurse doing her job in a super-nice way. This morning, Aquisha made us feel comfortable and secure as we waited for my colonoscopy. She was so upbeat and pleasant and explained everything in a reassuring way. She made sure we were comfortable, and her easy laugh calmed us down at a tense time,” said one nomination. “After the procedure, she was again so kind and helpful. She went over the dismissal instructions slowly and in detail, answering all our questions. We all wore masks, but we could still see the twinkle in her eye and hear the kindness in her voice. Some people just “do a job,” but Aquisha is clearly a person who is devoted to her job – doing her best and making the world a better place, just through small acts of kindness through the day. She is a super-nice nurse and would make any patient feel better.”

Heathery Aylward said one of the best parts of the nomination process is reading each story.

“Congratulations to our new Daisy Award winner Aquisha Livingston! Newman Regional Health gave out its first DAISY award in 2022 and since that time patients have contributed over 150 nominations! It is amazing that patients or their families take time out of their busy lives to thank their nurse,” Aylward noted. One of the best parts of my job is reading the nomination stories. Each story demonstrates how our staff truly cares about each patient, their families and our community as a whole. It is amazing for our staff to be part of a program that is in 5400 healthcare facilities in all 50 states and 35 countries.”