Mercy College of Health Sciences hosted the Nursing Pinning Ceremony for fall graduates on December 2, 2022. Graduating students celebrated the accomplishment of becoming a nurse with their families, friends, and faculty at St. Ambrose Cathedral in downtown Des Moines, Iowa. During the ceremony, nominees for the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Students were announced. Paige Smith, who will graduate this fall from the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program, was named the DAISY Award recipient.
“Paige not only has been a role model as a fellow student but in the clinical setting as well,” a classmate stated. “During our clinical experiences, she took exceptional care of her patients and used her extensive knowledge to help out other students and certified nursing assistants on the floor. Paige is someone to admire and I’m certain she will make an extraordinary nurse.”
The DAISY Foundation also recognizes exceptional nursing faculty and their contributions to the future of the nursing profession through the education of compassionate student nurses. This fall, Professor Mylissa BeLieu was named the recipient for the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Faculty.
“Professor BeLieu has been an advocate and devoted mentor to many students, especially in the Accelerated BSN cohort,” wrote one student. “She was always willing to meet with students outside of our class time to talk when we were struggling, and continued to go the extra mile for us.”
The DAISY – Diseases Attacking the Immune System – Foundation was established in memory of Patrick Barnes, who passed away in late 1999 following a long hospital stay. The DAISY Award recognizes extraordinary nurses for their compassionate care toward their patients. In 2010, the Foundation also established the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Faculty to honor the contributions faculty make to the future of the nursing profession. To learn more about the DAISY Foundation or to nominate a nurse, please visit the DAISY website.
Ready to Chart Your Course as a nurse? Visit mchs.edu/nursing for more information.
About Mercy College of Health Sciences
Mercy College of Health Sciences has been transforming students into healthcare professionals since 1899. Located in downtown Des Moines, Iowa, Mercy College offers master's degrees, bachelor’s degrees, associate degrees, certificate programs, and continuing education courses. Mercy College of Health Sciences is the only private Catholic college in central Iowa and is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), in addition to numerous programmatic accreditors.
