CCC LVN Recognized With Award For Extraordinary Care
- Category: Press Release
- Posted On:
- Written By: Nora Wallace
Comprehensive Care Center Licensed Vocational Nurse Meahgan Skinner was named the recipient of the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses.
Meahgan was recognized during a surprise ceremony Monday afternoon by members of the Lompoc Valley Medical Center leadership team, her coworkers and the Daisy Nomination Committee, which includes a wide range of clinical and non-clinical staff.
The prestigious international award is part of The DAISY Foundation’s mission to recognize the extraordinary, compassionate nursing care provided to patients and families every day.
Meahgan was nominated for the award by Registered Nurse Leslie Kelly, who previously was a Hospice nurse working closely with the LVN at the Comprehensive Care Center. Kelly, who is president of the LVMC Board of Directors, commended Meahgan for the tremendous care she bestowed upon a patient who had no family that visited him and was suffering from a progressive neurological disease. The resident was “totally dependent” on Meahgan for virtually everything while in the facility, and Kelly was his hospice nurse.
“She is one of the sweetest, kindest, most compassionate nurses I have ever met,” Kelly said. “She was able to tell me what each grunt and facial expression of his meant. She was able to help me tailor a pain management regime that would benefit him. It was obvious that she spent an immense amount of time and effort to communicate and understand this patient that would be so easy to overlook or dismiss.”
Because of his disease, it took about 40 minutes to feed him every meal, as he was at high risk for choking.
“As a nurse, I cannot tell you how touched I was at the meticulous and loving care he received,” Kelly said in her nomination. “The attentiveness and commitment she showed her care was inspiring.”
Meahgan has been with the CCC for about five years and is a 1999 graduate of Lompoc High School. She earned her LVN at Santa Barbara Business College in Santa Maria about eight years ago.
She was clearly shocked at hearing her name announced.
“I was blown away,” she said. “It’s really, really nice. I am very honored.”
As she spoke, a resident came near her in a wheelchair and gave a big “thumb’s up” sign to her. That type of interaction, as well as her coworkers, is why she loves her job, she said.
“I’ve been to other places, and here my coworkers are so helpful. Everyone works together. It’s unity. That’s me. I thrive when people are all helping each other.”
The not-for-profit DAISY Foundation was established in memory of J. Patrick Barnes by members of his family and honors nurses for making a profound difference in the lives of their patients and patient families. Patrick Barnes died in 1999 at the age of 33 from complications caused by ITP, or Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura, an auto-immune disease. DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System. The foundation was inspired by the care Patrick and his family received from nurses while he was ill. LVMC nominations are reviewed by an internal committee of representatives from nursing, non-nursing and non-clinical departments.
In addition to a certificate, Meahgan received a DAISY Award pin and a sculpture called A Healer’s Touch, hand-carved by artists of the Shona Tribe in Zimbabwe.
More information about the award is available at daisyfoundation.org. To nominate a nurse at LVMC, Lompoc Health or the Comprehensive Care Center, see the nomination form at lompocvmc.com, under the Resources tab and Patient Feedback link.
Meahgan was recognized during a surprise ceremony Monday afternoon by members of the Lompoc Valley Medical Center leadership team, her coworkers and the Daisy Nomination Committee, which includes a wide range of clinical and non-clinical staff.
The prestigious international award is part of The DAISY Foundation’s mission to recognize the extraordinary, compassionate nursing care provided to patients and families every day.
Meahgan was nominated for the award by Registered Nurse Leslie Kelly, who previously was a Hospice nurse working closely with the LVN at the Comprehensive Care Center. Kelly, who is president of the LVMC Board of Directors, commended Meahgan for the tremendous care she bestowed upon a patient who had no family that visited him and was suffering from a progressive neurological disease. The resident was “totally dependent” on Meahgan for virtually everything while in the facility, and Kelly was his hospice nurse.
“She is one of the sweetest, kindest, most compassionate nurses I have ever met,” Kelly said. “She was able to tell me what each grunt and facial expression of his meant. She was able to help me tailor a pain management regime that would benefit him. It was obvious that she spent an immense amount of time and effort to communicate and understand this patient that would be so easy to overlook or dismiss.”
Because of his disease, it took about 40 minutes to feed him every meal, as he was at high risk for choking.
“As a nurse, I cannot tell you how touched I was at the meticulous and loving care he received,” Kelly said in her nomination. “The attentiveness and commitment she showed her care was inspiring.”
Meahgan has been with the CCC for about five years and is a 1999 graduate of Lompoc High School. She earned her LVN at Santa Barbara Business College in Santa Maria about eight years ago.
She was clearly shocked at hearing her name announced.
“I was blown away,” she said. “It’s really, really nice. I am very honored.”
As she spoke, a resident came near her in a wheelchair and gave a big “thumb’s up” sign to her. That type of interaction, as well as her coworkers, is why she loves her job, she said.
“I’ve been to other places, and here my coworkers are so helpful. Everyone works together. It’s unity. That’s me. I thrive when people are all helping each other.”
The not-for-profit DAISY Foundation was established in memory of J. Patrick Barnes by members of his family and honors nurses for making a profound difference in the lives of their patients and patient families. Patrick Barnes died in 1999 at the age of 33 from complications caused by ITP, or Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura, an auto-immune disease. DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System. The foundation was inspired by the care Patrick and his family received from nurses while he was ill. LVMC nominations are reviewed by an internal committee of representatives from nursing, non-nursing and non-clinical departments.
In addition to a certificate, Meahgan received a DAISY Award pin and a sculpture called A Healer’s Touch, hand-carved by artists of the Shona Tribe in Zimbabwe.
More information about the award is available at daisyfoundation.org. To nominate a nurse at LVMC, Lompoc Health or the Comprehensive Care Center, see the nomination form at lompocvmc.com, under the Resources tab and Patient Feedback link.
