Student, faculty member recognized for extraordinary nursing

Pennsylvania College of Technology recently presented DAISY Awards, which recognize nursing excellence, to a student who showed compassion to an infant patient and to a member of the college’s nursing faculty, who was recognized for her caring attitude toward students.

Eric A. Kilpatrick, a Lewisburg resident who is pursuing an associate degree in nursing, received The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Students, while Margaret M. Faust, associate professor of nursing, received The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Faculty.

Award winners can be nominated by peers, colleagues, patients, families or alumni. Winners are selected by a committee in Penn College’s nursing program. This spring, nine students and 17 faculty were nominated for DAISY Awards.

Kilpatrick was nominated for the care he provided a baby during a hospital rotation. The infant had no family or caregivers with her.

“In morning report, we were told she fussed often because she wanted to be held,” Kilpatrick’s nominator wrote. “At first, Eric was very hesitant to care for a baby and voiced his fears to me: In fact, his words to me were, ‘I don’t know what to do with a baby.’ I showed him how he could hold her, just talk with her and foster trust. Throughout the day, as I was checking in on students, Eric remained in the room with his patient. Every time I checked in on Eric, he was holding her, rocking her, talking to her, and providing a reassuring presence.”

When the class returned to the clinical site the following week, Kilpatrick was assigned to a different patient, but after completing care for that child, he again spent time at the baby’s bedside, providing a calming presence.

“While much of our job is focused on the nursing process and the hands-on skills we provide in caring for patients, another important part of our job is providing holistic care and caring for all patients’ needs. Eric met the aspect of holistically sound care and personified pediatric nursing during clinical,” his nominator wrote. “He went above and beyond in providing care and comfort to this patient. The extraordinary compassion he showed served as an example to his peers, was noticed by RN staff, and certainly made a difference in the life of this patient.”

Faust was recognized for the “unconditional support” she gives students.

“Whether it is in class, lab or at clinical, she is always there to support and cheer her students on,” one of her nominators wrote. “She teaches without judgment. She is one of the professors that many students feel very comfortable with to talk about school/life stressors and receive good feedback. I hope someday I can be half the nurse she is.”

“She has always been there for us as a listening ear and is our biggest cheerleader,” another nominator wrote, noting that she encourages students to participate in class but does not force them, uses real-life experiences in her teaching style, and treats students like adults. “She truly is a great person and shows compassion and love toward her job and especially toward her students. She takes the time to learn about our lives and our family and asks often about those!”

Faust, who received the college’s Excellence in Academic Advising Award in 2015, has been employed by Penn College since 2007.

The DAISY Awards are a project of The DAISY Foundation, a not-for-profit organization established in memory of J. Patrick Barnes by members of his family. The care Patrick and his family received from nurses while he was ill inspired the creation of The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses to recognize and thank nurses for making a profound difference in the lives of their patients and patient families.

The foundation expanded the awards program to academic institutions in order to recognize the faculty who inspire compassionate care in their students and the students who demonstrate it during their education.

Penn College presents one faculty award and three student awards each year during pre-commencement “pinning” ceremonies for graduating nursing students. The remaining 2023 student awards will be presented at the summer and fall ceremonies.

Each honoree receives a certificate, a DAISY Award pin and a sculpture called “A Healer’s Touch.”

To learn more about Penn College’s nursing degrees, call 570-327-4525.

For information about the college, a national leader in applied technology education, email the Admissions Office or call toll-free at 800-367-9222.