We would like to commend the staff of the Guttenberg Hospital for the care and concern that was shown to our mother during her recent illness and passing away. There are a number of staff that we would like to thank for the compassion shown during this time: the doctors for their efforts to answer our multiple questions; the physical therapy and occupational therapy staff who worked with mom; the nursing staff who worked diligently day and night to keep mom comfortable; the dietary staff for providing our family with snacks and nourishment during such a difficult time; and anyone who crossed our paths that showed care and concern.

There is one nurse who stood out to our family, and we’d like to acknowledge her for the compassion and care that she brought to her job when caring for Mom. Shelli Schmitt worked the night shift during our mom’s passing. She brought a sense of peace and comfort to our family from the time she walked into the room. Shelli stopped to listen to our concerns and asked what she could do to assist us during this difficult time. She worked diligently to keep mom comfortable, be it providing medications on a regular schedule to keep her comfortable, calm, and providing care in a timely manner. One of Mom’s favorite things was to keep her skin soft and smooth with lotion. Shelli used an orange smelling lotion on mom during her cares that rang out as a little extra care that was given that night.

We would like to nominate Shelli Schmitt for the DAISY Award for going above the normal day to day routines of caring for patients and families. She showed that it was not just a job to her but that she was willing to go above and beyond the normal and encompass the patient and family to provide much needed comfort and compassion at such a difficult time.