Purdue Global School of Nursing celebrates student and faculty DAISY Award honorees

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Yasming Stallworth and Jenna Foley both are positively impacting their communities through their nursing careers, especially as they pursue nursing degrees through Purdue Global.

Stallworth and Foley were named as Purdue Global’s recipients of The DAISY Award, presented by The DAISY Foundation to celebrate the extraordinary compassion nurses provide their patients and families every day. Stallworth, of Philadelphia, was one of the recipients in the Master of Science in Nursing cohort. Foley, of Bettendorf, Iowa, is the Associate of Science in Nursing recipient.

“When looking into medical professions, I witnessed the nurse-patient relationship and instantly knew that’s what I wanted to offer to my community,” Stallworth said.

Stallworth has been a nurse for eight years, mostly in the medical-surgical field. She has completed more than 10 travel nursing assignments. She is currently working as a psychiatric nurse while she pursues her master’s in psychiatric mental health nursing.

Following her graduation this December, Stallworth will enroll in Purdue Global’s Doctor of Nursing Practice program. Her goal is to establish a mental health practice in her community.

She was surprised to have received The DAISY Award.

“When I saw the congratulation email, my mouth dropped. I stared at it and kept refreshing my screen to make sure it was real. I am still in awe of this honor. I instantly gave thanks to God because this journey has been a marathon, and I am so grateful for this high achievement,” Stallworth said.

Foley is pursuing her Associate of Science in Nursing. She has worked as a medical assistant in urgent care for five years and enjoys helping others. She is motivated to obtain her Bachelor of Science in Nursing and continue advancing in the field.

“My sister is a nurse and, listening to her, I decided that I wanted to help patients even more,” Foley said. “This prompted me to continue my education and to become an even stronger patient advocate.”

Foley said she was shocked and grateful when she learned she was a DAISY Award recipient.

“Clinical skills and knowledge aside, I pride myself on being a leader and showing kindness to all my patients. It is wonderful to be recognized for all the hard work that I put in. I am surrounded by amazing clinical hospital staff, professors, clinical instructors and colleagues that push me to be my best,” she said.

The awards were presented to recipients during an online reception in May.

In addition to Foley and Stallworth, this year’s Purdue Global student recipients also included:

• Shannon Evans of Gandeeville, West Virginia; Bachelor of Science in Nursing
• Julianna Dami of Tamarac, Florida; Master of Science in Nursing
• Geni Adams of Little Falls, New Jersey; Doctor of Nursing Practice

Five faculty members also were recipients of The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurse Educators. They include:

• Jillian Ciriello, MSN, of Farmington, Connecticut; Associate of Science in Nursing program
• Elaina Mahlan, EdD, MSN, of Lakeland, Florida; Bachelor of Science in Nursing program
• Elizabeth Stevenson, MSN, of Monon, Indiana; Master of Science in Nursing program
• Deborah Adelman, PhD, RN, NE-BC, of Springfield, Illinois; Master of Science in Nursing program
• Shirlean Pelham-Bennett, DNP, of Woodbridge, Virginia; Doctor of Nursing Practice program

Purdue Global nursing students, faculty, staff and community leaders are encouraged to nominate students for The DAISY Award. Additional information and criteria can be found on The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Students website.

The DAISY (Diseases Attacking the Immune System) Foundation was created in 1999 by the family of J. Patrick Barnes to express gratitude to nurses for the care and compassion their family experienced during his illness and at the end of his life. Barnes died in 1999 from the autoimmune disease ITP (immune thrombocytopenia). DAISY is an evidence-based form of meaningful recognition that can positively impact many aspects of a healthy work environment, including job satisfaction, retention, well-being, resilience, the patient/family experience and community loyalty. Over 6,000 health care organizations and schools of nursing participate worldwide, and more than 200,000 nurses have been honored. 

About Purdue Global

Purdue Global is Purdue’s online university for working adults who have life experience and often some college credits. It offers flexible paths for students to earn an associate, bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree, based on their work experience, military service and previous college credits, no matter where they are in their life journey. Purdue Global is a nonprofit, public university accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and backed by Purdue University. For more information, visit https://www.purdueglobal.edu.