Laura Negele, RN, named recipient of The DAISY Award at Spectrum Health Ludington Hospital

Grace Sorenson-Alvesteffer, RN stands with Laura Negele, RN, the nurse she nominated for the DAISY award. Both work in the emergency department at Spectrum Health Ludington Hospital.

Laura Negele, RN, named recipient of The DAISY Award at Spectrum Health Ludington Hospital

LUDINGTON – Laura Negele, RN, emergency department charge nurse at Spectrum Health Ludington Hospital, was selected as the hospital’s latest recipient of the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses. The announcement was made at a ceremony late last week, held at the Ludington Hospital.

Negele was not aware she had been nominated and selected until her name was called during the ceremony. She was nominated by a nursing colleague Grace Sorenson-Alvesteffer, RN.

“When I nominated my nursing preceptor, Laura Negele for the Daisy Award, I was a new nurse at Ludington Hospital straight out of school in the middle of a global pandemic in a busy emergency department,” said Sorenson-Alvesteffer. “It didn’t take me long to realize that a good preceptor is not only essential but completely worth their weight in gold. I hit the jackpot having Laura as my preceptor. She provided a safe environment conducive to teaching, learning, and growing. Laura is not your run of the mill nursing preceptor; she goes above and beyond in everything she does. She supported me with difficult situations. She challenged me to critically think and to want to be challenged. Laura is the physical embodiment of what a nurse should be: confident, focused, kind, patient, and—above all—compassionate.

“In a time where we are experiencing more nursing burnout than ever, Laura is a light. She is the greatest patient advocate I’ve ever known and has inspired me to be an advocate as well. Laura is a spark. Not only does she display all these characteristics, but she ignites others to display them as well. I hope that someday I can provide a new nurse the same guidance that she has provided me!”

Negele said she was surprised about her nomination and selection for the DAISY Award and very honored by it. “I feel like being a good preceptor is a very important part of my job,” she said. “I always want every patient to get the very best care. We have a great team here at Ludington Hospital, and I am proud to be part of such a great team.”

Kevin Franklin, Emergency Department nurse manager at Spectrum Health Ludington Hospital, echoed what Sorenson-Alvesteffer had to say about Negele. “Laura Negele is a nurse’s nurse and a patient’s nurse,” said Franklin. “She is a strong advocate for our patients and making sure their voices and needs are heard and understood. But she is also deeply connected to her team members and colleagues, always helping out and ensuring they have what they need. I’ve really enjoyed having Laura as part of our emergency department team.”

“Laura has served the community as an emergency department nurse for more than 20 years,” said chief nursing officer, Meleah Mariani. “We appreciate her experience, her collaborative style, her patient advocacy and her sense of humor. She is a role model and a very important part of our emergency services team.”

The not-for-profit DAISY Foundation is based in Glen Ellen, California, and was established by family members in memory of J. Patrick Barnes. Barnes died at the age of 33 in 1999 from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), a little known but not uncommon auto-immune disease. The care Barnes and his family received from nurses while he was ill inspired this unique means of thanking nurses for making a profound difference in the lives of their patients and patient families.

Nurses are nominated for the DAISY Award by patients, families and colleagues, and they are chosen by a committee of nurses at Spectrum Health Ludington Hospital. Awards are given multiple times a year, with each honoree given a certificate and a sculpture called “A Healer’s Touch.”

Online nominations can be completed at www.spectrumhealth.org/Ludington by clicking on the DAISY Award section at the bottom of the page. At the Ludington Hospital, nomination forms and boxes are also at all nurse stations, in lobbies and in the medical offices.

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