National Park Medical Center celebrated Nurses Week in Hot Springs by unveiling a new sculpture and presenting its bi-annual DAISY Award to a deserving nurse on Friday.
Out of six finalists, the DAISY Award was presented to RN Karissa Owens, who was nominated by a family member of a former patient.
"I'm just speechless that I could make that much of an impact on someone," Owens said.
"The Healer's Touch," which is a larger version of the DAISY Award sculpture, began as a large stone in Zimbabwe, according to Mandy Golleher, NPMC director of marketing and communications.
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The 350-pound piece of stone was carved down to the sculpture, which is around 150 pounds, she said.
"We're excited to have it, just right here at the entrance," Golleher said.
"Oh, it's beautiful," said Lisa Wallace, NPMC chief nursing officer. "We are so blessed that the volunteers were able to contribute that. I just love the sculpture."
Numerous hospitals across the country participate in award programs sponsored by The DAISY Foundation, with many of those hospitals also having similar sculptures.
According to the foundation's website, "The Healer's Touch" symbolizes the relationship between nurses, patients and families.
The DAISY Award is a miniature replica of the sculpture, and like the sculpture, was also handmade in Africa.
Wallace said the awards and sculptures are helping out people in Zimbabwe. The DAISY Foundation "helps keep these artisans in Africa, it provides work for them," she said, noting the sculpture "provides a lovely ongoing tangible reminder" for the staff at the hospital.
Hot Springs Mayor Pat McCabe presented the Nurses Week proclamation.
"The nursing profession runs very deep in the McCabe household. My mom was the night supervisor at the local hospital back in the community in which I was raised in northern Wisconsin. My sister's an RN and we know that next week is National Hospital Week, and in addition to nurses we have in our family, I have two speech pathologists in my family, one's my sister and the other is my daughter," McCabe said.
"This is a special recognition this year for nurses during Nursing Week, to recognize all the nurses. All those who are on the front line," he said, noting they were "put to the test" over the last year during the pandemic.
"Whereas President Ronald Reagan signed a proclamation declaring May 6, 1982, to be National Recognition Day for Nurses, and whereas the American Nursing Association board of directors expanded the recognition of nurses to a week-long celebration in 1991, and now therefore, I, Pat McCabe, mayor of the City of Hot Springs, on the behalf of the entire board of directors do hereby proclaim May 6 through 12, 2021, as Nurses Week in Hot Springs, Ark.," he said.
