Pediatrics LPN Recognized as DAISY Award Winner

December 11, 2024

Released by:  McKenzie Health

DAISY Award Winner Recognized at McKenzie Health – Kathryn Jones, LPN – Pediatrics

Watford City—Watford City, ND – Kathryn Jones, LPN, of the McKenzie Health Pediatrics team was honored on December 3rd with The DAISY Award® For Extraordinary Nurses. Forty nominations were received during this cycle. The award is part of the DAISY Foundation’s programs to recognize the super-human efforts nurses perform every day. Thirty nominations were received for this selection cycle. This recognition is celebrated twice a year – May and December.

Kathryn was born and raised in Arkansas and is the oldest of 5 children. She graduated with her LPN certificate from the U of A Community College at Morrilton in 2003. She went on to receive her Bachelors of Science Degree in Psychology in May of 2021.

The nomination submitted about Kathryn read: “My son had a severe rash all over his arms that he had for about three months. I had taken him to several doctors and no one was giving us any real solutions. I reached out to Kathryn at the Pediatric Clinic, and she made sure that I could get an appointment for my son promptly so he could get some relief. When I brought him to his appointment that week, Kathryn made him feel very at ease as he had to have bloodwork done and is extremely afraid of needles. Kathryn was very kind and patient with him, offering to put numbing cream on his arm so that the needle poke would not be as painful. He agreed to let Kathryn put numbing cream on his arm and was able to successfully have his blood drawn. Kathryn also went out of her way to contact me the next day to ask if the new medicine that Dr. McDonough prescribed offered my son any relief. This shows to me that Kathryn is very caring and concerns greatly for her patients.”

Rosie Daly – RN, Clinic Manager, said, “Kathryn is detail-oriented and has excellent communication skills when it comes to working with families and especially children. With her calm demeanor, she has the ability to help patients put anxiousness at bay by answering questions and going the extra mile to follow-up. We are very fortunate to have a dedicated team member like Kathryn serving children alongside Dr. McDonough!”

Pete Edis, CEO of McKenzie Health, added, “One of the many highlights of being CEO is having the opportunity to recognize our dedicated and talented employees. Kathryn is an exceptional LPN and asset to our team. She brings positivity to her role in pediatrics. Furthering her dedication to nursing, Kathryn, is working on her RN degree. Congratulations to Kathryn for her outstanding contributions to McKenzie Health and most importantly, to the children and parents that depend on rural healthcare.”

Of receiving this award, Kathryn says, “I have had several jobs over the years but working pediatrics is one of my all-time favorite places to work. Even when kiddos feel bad and just want to be left alone but they see you, and you get a smile out of them, it just makes what I do worthwhile. I have several years of working with special needs kids both in a facility and at home. I have worked as a private duty nurse in the homes of kids with tracheostomies and on ventilators. I even learned some sign language from one family, and the way they go through the hardships of life with a smile and are still giggling all the time really makes you stop and think. Life can be hard, but it is how you let it impact your life that matters most. If a child that was born with all the hardships one little body can endure and they can still smile through, it just proves how mighty God is. I’m reminded that He will never give us more than He knows we can handle. Working in pediatrics can be the most rewarding and heartbreaking position a person can have. I am so grateful and honored to be able to serve this community as a pediatric nurse for McKenzie Health.”

If you or a loved one has received extraordinary care, please nominate your nurse for the DAISY Award! You can apply by written or digital application. To apply online, please visit mckenziehealth.com/daisy-award-nomination/.

About the DAISY Award:
The not-for-profit DAISY Foundation was established by family members in memory of J. Patrick Barnes. Patrick died at the age of 33 in late 1999 from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), a little known but not uncommon auto-immune disease. The care Patrick 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.

Said Bonnie Barnes, FAAN, Doctor of Humane Letters (h.c) and Co-Founder of The DAISY Foundation, “When Patrick was critically ill, our family experienced first-hand the remarkable skill and care nurses provide patients every day and night. Yet these unsung heroes are seldom recognized for the super-human work they do. The kind of wor

###

MEDIA CONTACT

Lynn Welker-Fevold, MMHC, ACHE
307-399-4145
lwelker@mchsnd.org