Changing Lives With Compassion: Angelic Altru Nurse Compassionately Comforts Patient

Grand Forks, N.D. - A nurse at Altru is being honored with The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses ®. The award is part of the DAISY Foundation's mission to recognize the extraordinary, compassionate nursing care they provide patients and families every day.

Cassie Senn is a Nursing Resource Center nurse who helped her patient after a surgery.

'She immediately welcomed me to the floor like a granddaughter, and wrapped me in her angel wings,' her patient said. 'I felt safe and content when she was there. We talked about our families and other things, and I really looked forward to seeing her. I cried when I saw her that last time. Altru should be very proud to have such wonderful health providers that go above and beyond, like Cassie Senn did for me.'

'We are proud of the care Cassie Senn, and our nursing team, are providing our patients,' said Chief Nursing Officer Janice Hamscher. 'Some patients may only be with us for a short time. When our team can build relationships and positively impact our patient's experience during a difficult time, that is truly what we define as compassionate care.'

The not-for-profit DAISY Foundation is based in Glen Ellen, CA, and was established by family members in memory of J. Patrick Barnes. 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. 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 their patients and patient families.