June 2026 Honoree
Teresa A. Struchen, RN
I have been a registered nurse for over 45 years. One of the things that I have come to appreciate about Teresa Struchen is her exceptional leadership skills demonstrating excellence leading by example.
One of the most significant things is the way she is so approachable and ready to help the novice and older nurses with the simplest questions without making anyone feel foolish or ignorant.
One amazing example was when I needed to provide a life-saving heparin infusion for a patient, and the dosage parameters did not match up to our IV pumps. As a fellow nurse, it had been a long time needing to provide this higher level of care and Teresa was present immediately in the room helping to assess the situation.
She was able to identify the need to contact the pharmacist on call in the middle of the night to address the issue. I was so impressed by her dedication to do what was needed to ensure that this patient has everything needing to provide excellence in care.
I have observed the way she has encouraged the new nurses being hired to ensure they feel welcome and part of the team. It has been such a blessing to have someone at her level who brings excellence in nursing skills, team building, and focus on best-practice health care.
I know that I can reach out to her for any questions that I may have and know that she is available to assist me with very difficult patient care issues. When an IV needs to be started with a patient with difficult access, she is available to come and provide IV access for our patients.
Knowing that we have someone with a wealth of knowledge and skills contributes to the success of our team of nurses at Mahaska Health inpatient services.
There are so many stories of how she has been able to meet the needs not only of the patients, but of the nurses and nursing assistants as well as unit secretaries to provide best practice to our patients.
It is an honor to nominate Teresa for this award. She leads by serving and serves by leading to make the best better!
One of the most significant things is the way she is so approachable and ready to help the novice and older nurses with the simplest questions without making anyone feel foolish or ignorant.
One amazing example was when I needed to provide a life-saving heparin infusion for a patient, and the dosage parameters did not match up to our IV pumps. As a fellow nurse, it had been a long time needing to provide this higher level of care and Teresa was present immediately in the room helping to assess the situation.
She was able to identify the need to contact the pharmacist on call in the middle of the night to address the issue. I was so impressed by her dedication to do what was needed to ensure that this patient has everything needing to provide excellence in care.
I have observed the way she has encouraged the new nurses being hired to ensure they feel welcome and part of the team. It has been such a blessing to have someone at her level who brings excellence in nursing skills, team building, and focus on best-practice health care.
I know that I can reach out to her for any questions that I may have and know that she is available to assist me with very difficult patient care issues. When an IV needs to be started with a patient with difficult access, she is available to come and provide IV access for our patients.
Knowing that we have someone with a wealth of knowledge and skills contributes to the success of our team of nurses at Mahaska Health inpatient services.
There are so many stories of how she has been able to meet the needs not only of the patients, but of the nurses and nursing assistants as well as unit secretaries to provide best practice to our patients.
It is an honor to nominate Teresa for this award. She leads by serving and serves by leading to make the best better!
Thank you, Teresa A., for your exceptional compassion, advocacy, and dedication to your patients. You truly make a difference.
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