BYU College of Nursing faculty member Dr. Matt Anderson and nursing student Lauren Thorpe each received a DAISY Award at the recent Scholarship and Professionalism Symposium in October.
The DAISY (Diseases Attacking the Immune System) Foundation seeks to recognize and celebrate exceptional nursing students, nursing educators, and practicing nurses worldwide.
BYU College of Nursing has collaborated with the DAISY Foundation for years, celebrating the incredible staff and students who make the program what it is.
Dr. Anderson received the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurse Educators. One of the individuals who nominated him for the accolade, a fellow professor, remarked that “Matt Anderson embodies the spirit of the DAISY Award through his kindness, intentional mentorship, and Christ-centered leadership. I can say without hesitation that he is an extraordinary example of excellence in nursing education.”
Another wrote of a powerful experience in which Dr. Anderson was able to turn others towards Christ in a stressful situation:
“[Matt] discerned that [our] group was struggling with the grief and pain that comes with working in a high acuity field, and he suggested we all kneel to offer a prayer. He prayed for us by name, asking the Lord for blessings on our behalf. The spirit filled the room and our hearts, and we were fortified with peace.”
The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Students was given to Lauren. Each year, BYU College of Nursing honors students who “exemplify Christlike compassionate care, clinical promise, and professional excellence; support the well-being of patients and peers; and translate classroom knowledge into safe, skillful practice.”
The professor who nominated her wrote that “Lauren sees a need and doesn’t hesitate to fill it. This semester, in her dual role as caregiver and a nursing student working in a neonatal intensive care unit, she spent all night providing extra care to a distressed newborn… She arrived in my class the next morning exhausted yet fully prepared, showing remarkable professionalism and grace…”
Both Dr. Anderson and Lauren were given “The Healer’s Touch” statues, hand-carved stone figures from Zimbabwe. They come from the Shona people and represent a mother and child.
Congratulations to Lauren and Dr. Anderson!