UP Health System – Marquette Honors Emergency Department Nurse, Amanda Nettleton, RN, with DAISY Award

UP Health System – Marquette is proud to honor Amanda Nettleton, RN, with The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses®. The award is given out every quarter and is part of the DAISY Foundation’s mission to recognize the extraordinary, compassionate nursing care provided to patients and families every day. 

Amanda cares for patients in the Emergency Department (ED) at UP Health System – Marquette. Nurses and providers in the ED play a critical role in providing immediate care to patients experiencing urgent or life-threatening conditions. From triaging patients to crisis management and high-stakes direct bedside care, their responsibilities are diverse and demanding, often requiring quick decision-making and multitasking. They’re known for their quick thinking and ability to multitask and calm under pressure, all while providing compassionate care in an unpredictable environment. As a Level II Trauma Center and the regional referral center for the entire Upper Peninsula, Amanda’s unit is busy 24/7 providing lifesaving care.  

Amanda was nominated by a patient who received care in June of this year — the full nomination is below.

“On June 6, 2024, I entered the UP Health System – Marquette’s Emergency Room experiencing severe medical distress due to a urinary tract infection that was causing my kidneys to shut down. As a disabled veteran, I had experienced this medical issue in the past and was extremely concerned that I would lose my kidneys and end up on dialysis. However, Amanda Nettleton, my outstanding emergency room nurse, was determined to not only address my physical complications but also go “above and beyond the call of duty” to ensure that I would stay in the fight mentally – which was critical to my speedy, successful recovery! Amanda Nettleton’s calm, cool, and collected bedside manner was critical to my staying in the fight mentally — when I was in danger of “checking out” psychologically. Before deploying multiple times to Iraq and Afghanistan, I attended pre-deployment combat first aid training conducted by US Army Special Forces Medics. Throughout, our Special Forces medical instructors emphasized how important it was to treat a patient’s emotional trauma to keep them from going over the edge… Amanda kept me from going over the edge during my darkest hours that day. Her energy, glowing optimism and medical expertise sustained me throughout my stay and enabled me to walk out of the emergency room 24 hours later. Simply stated, Amanda Nettleton is “combat proven” and someone that both I and our Special Forces Rangers would “choose to go to war with us!” Amanda is one of the best nurses that I have encountered anywhere! In addition to nominating her for “The DAISY Award,” please ensure that Amanda’s hard work, intelligence, dedication to her patients and outstanding bedside manner are all considered during her performance appraisals, salary and promotion deliberations, and when selecting individuals for advanced training or schooling opportunities. Amanda Nettleton is a true professional who brings great credit upon herself, UP Health System, and the VA’s Community Care program, as well!  Thank you again Amanda for all that you do for our community!”

UP Health System – Marquette also recognizes our other nurses who were nominated for the DAISY Award this quarter:

• Han Alejandro Aranda, OR
• Stephanie Anderson, Infusion
• Catherine Andriola, Cardiac
• Ashley Bethke, NOP
• Dave Carlson, ICU
• Steph Gordon, FBC
• Lindsay Heino, ICU
• Brook Kashmark, ICU
• Kelly Kurian, NP, NICU
• Cayla Kent, NOP
• Sydney Klavon, Cardiac
• Ethan Kniskern, Medical 
• Kat Nagelkirk, NOP
• Amanda Nettleton, ER
• Shayna Orlich, NP Digestive Health
• Michael Perrault, ER
• Andrew Rutherford, NOP
• Jennifer Sikora, Medical
• Jamie Skewis, NICU
• Brian Stasevich, NOP
• Kelley Upperstrom, OR

The DAISY Foundation is a not-for-profit organization established in memory of J. Patrick Barnes by members of his family. 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. (DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System.) 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 patients and their families.

Patients, families, and colleagues may nominate nurses. Nominations are reviewed by a committee at UP Health System – Marquette, which then selects the winner. Awards are presented throughout the year at celebrations attended by the honoree’s colleagues, patients, friends, and family.  Each honoree receives a certificate commending them that reads, “In deep appreciation of all you do, who you are, and the incredibly meaningful difference you make in the lives of so many people.” Honorees also receive a DAISY Award pin and a beautiful and meaningful sculpture called A Healer’s Touch, hand-carved by artists of the Shona Tribe in Zimbabwe.

Bonnie Barnes, FAAN, chief executive officer and co-founder of The DAISY Foundation said, “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 their super-human, extraordinary, compassionate work. The kind of work the nurses at UP Health System – Marquette are called on to do every day epitomizes the purpose of the DAISY Award.”

"One of our top priorities is making sure our nurses know how valued and appreciated they are for the incredible, lifesaving care they provide every day," stated Christine Stryker, MBA, MSN, RN, chief nursing officer and chief operating officer, UP Health System-Marquette. "The DAISY Award is one way we do that, and we are proud to participate in the program, as we are proud of all our nursing staff."

In addition to the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses, the Foundation expresses gratitude to the nursing profession internationally in over 3,900 healthcare facilities and schools of nursing with recognition of direct care nurses, nurse-led teams, nurse leaders, nursing faculty, and nursing students, through the J. Patrick Barnes Grants for Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice Projects and nurses participating in medical missions.

To nominate an extraordinary nurse for the DAISY Award, visit our website. For more information on the DAISY Award, please visit the DAISY Foundation website.