Two MHP Nurses named “100 Great Iowa Nurses”

MHP celebrates the naming of two nurses to the 2016 list of “100 Great Iowa Nurses.” Shown at the statewide ceremony on Sunday in Des Moines is MHP Chief Nursing Officer Darlene Keuning, Honorees Heather Cook and Crystal Booy along with MHP CEO Jay Christensen.

MHP celebrates the naming of two nurses to the 2016 list of “100 Great Iowa Nurses.” Shown at the statewide ceremony on Sunday in Des Moines is MHP Chief Nursing Officer Darlene Keuning, Honorees Heather Cook and Crystal Booy along with MHP CEO Jay Christensen.

Oskaloosa – Mahaska Health Partnership nurses Crystal Booy, RN, of Oskaloosa and Heather Cook, BSN, RN, of Pleasantville, have been named to the 12th annual listing of “100 Great Iowa Nurses.”

Recipients were honored at a special celebration recognizing National Nurses Week on May 1 in Des Moines. The Iowa Nurses Association, Iowa Nurses Foundation and Iowa Hospital Association partner each year to create this list, which celebrates nursing by honoring 100 nurses from around the state. More than 400 nominations were submitted.

MHP Chief Nursing Officer Darlene Keuning RN, BSN, MS, said this recognition is meaningful because it is independent, outside recognition of the excellence found in MHP’s nursing staff. “It is a great affirmation of the skill, quality and compassion of our nursing staff,” Keuning said.

Booy works both as a Nursing Supervisor and staff nurse directly caring for patients. According to her nomination, one of the many examples of her dedication was with a newly diagnosed diabetic patient who was scheduled to be discharged.

“Instead of simply going through discharge paperwork and sending the patient home, she utilized teach back and had the patient’s spouse go to the pharmacy before discharge and bring back the glucometer and blood sugar testing supplies so she could give meaningful and critical education to the patient. In doing so, she actually caught that the glucometer was defective, and she followed up with the pharmacy so the patient was able to get a new glucometer. If Crystal hadn’t taken that extra step, the patient would have simply given up on the defective equipment and likely would have been re-hospitalized soon after.”

“When Crystal is charge nurse, things always move more efficiently and there is a sense of teamwork on the floor, because she actively seeks out opportunities to lighten her coworkers’ loads. If every nurse had a supportive charge nurse like Crystal, nursing and healthcare in general would be more impactful.”

Cook has been a registered nurse for 14 years and has been employed at MHP for a year. “In her brief time here, she has made incredible strides as our Infection Control/Standards Coordinator and led us through two successful surveys with her calm strength and leadership,” her nomination said. “This was accomplished through her incredible organizational skills and tenacity for insisting that the right thing always be done.

“Heather doesn’t believe in short-cuts, and she has made our organization a better place for her efforts. Patient safety is definitely her number one goal in how she carries out her duties.”

Cook was also recognized for her teaching and mentoring of staff from all levels in the organization including directors, staff nurses, environmental service workers and maintenance staff. Her caring approach and passion to improve quality and processes is evident to all.

Keuning said that both nurses are true leaders who represent the best that the nursing profession has to offer. “The compassion, high quality care and leadership our nurses provide every day is truly exceptional.

“We are so proud and thankful that we work with many great nurses at MHP and because of their care, our patients benefit. Since 2009, MHP has had 28 nurses recognized as a ‘100 Great Iowa Nurses’ and 22 of those are still employed here.”

Photo Cut: MHP celebrates the naming of two nurses to the 2016 list of “100 Great Iowa Nurses.” Shown at the statewide ceremony on Sunday in Des Moines is MHP Chief Nursing Officer Darlene Keuning, Honorees Heather Cook and Crystal Booy along with MHP CEO Jay Christensen.

Posted by on May 2 2016. Filed under Lifestyle, Local News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.

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