Moraine Park Technical College Nursing student, Carrie Kuehn of Beaver Dam, received the College’s first DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Students on Friday, Dec. 17, at the Beaver Dam campus Pinning Ceremony.

The award was created to recognize and celebrate nursing students for the above-and-beyond care and compassion shown to patients and their families. The DAISY Foundation hopes that this program will inspire and motivate students to provide the best clinical skills possible and to impact patients and families with human spirit and kindness.

Kuehn was nominated by a fellow Moraine Park Nursing student, Shane Keck.

“Carrie is an inspiration at clinical,” Keck said. “She is such a professional and so quick at clinicals that we all marvel at her competency. She’s also unbelievably kind and picks others up when they’re down and struggling. Carrie is a phenomenal leader and I truly believe she’ll be a shining star of an RN someday soon.” 

Kuehn, a fourth-semester student, was chosen through a blind selection process by Moraine Park’s DAISY committee made up of three Moraine Park representatives and one advisory member. Nominations for the award can come from any patient, staff nurse, fellow students, faculty or member of the community that the student has positively impacted.

“I had no idea I would be receiving this award,” Kuehn said. ‘It came as a complete surprise, and I am honored to have even been nominated. I’ve wanted to be a nurse since I was a child, so the recognition means everything to me.”

Read more about the DAISY Award at Moraine Park.

Dodge County Public Health and Beaver Dam Moraine Park Technical College Nursing Students partnered up again this year to deliver vaccines to children in Dodge County. Last year the flu vaccine clinical occurred at Dodgeland School. However, this year, thanks to the pandemic the vaccine clinic looked a little different.  This was a first for Dodge County Public Health to offer the flu vaccine via a drive thru.

Over a four day schedule, approximately 213 flu vaccines were administered at the first ever drive thru clinic. According to Lina Rooney – Dodge County Public Health Nurse, “There is no possible way this could have happened without the MPTC staff & students. Through driving wind, rain, & chilly late afternoon temps, MPTC students soldiered on.  They established an efficient flow of assembling & handling syringes, supplies, & paperwork so everything went smoothly. They cheerfully greeted families, calmed anxious kids, and safely administered flu shots. We can’t forget their stellar traffic control skills, either; only one cone was run over! 

According to one of the students, “It was a great experience for us nursing students as we are growing into the role of becoming nurses. The exposure to working with children is priceless as typically that is an area where nursing students may have a fear of how to interact and communicate with them effectively. Essentially we ran the operation this year and all of us nursing students whether we are in our first semester or fourth semester all worked really well together which resulted in a really successful flu shot clinic for the K-12 children within our community.”

 – Kass Haima 4^th Semester Nursing Student

Overall, it was an amazing opportunity for the Beaver Dam MPTC students to give back to the community and formulate a partnership with Dodge County Public Health. We will continue to forge partnerships within the local communities that foster healthy outcomes. There was a sense of pride, collaboration, and passion that was witnessed among students, faculty, and Dodge County Public Health staff. To watch future nurses work with the community was the greatest reward of all!

Last month, first semester Moraine Park nursing students helped residents get ready for their annual prom at the Fond du Lac St. Francis Home.

The students used their clinical time to provide hair and nail care, and dress the residents for their big event! The students enjoyed the one-on-one time to pamper the residents and give personalized care.

St. Francis Home hosts the resident prom each spring with a live music from a local high school band and invites family members to participate. So much fun!

For more program information, visit morainepark.edu/programs.

Each year, Moraine Park Student Life engages students in various community events and initiatives. Those initiatives result in good causes being supported, fun–and even life-changing touch points, as was the case after last year’s Be the Match drive.

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