Pueblo nurse receives national recognition for providing exceptional care
PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) – A local nurse in Pueblo is being recognized with a prestigious national award for going above and beyond for her patients. The timing couldn't be better – it just so happens Tuesday, May 6 also marks National Nurses Day.
At UCHealth Parkview, one registered nurse is going the extra mile to transform the lives of the people she cares for. She's doing it on her own time and her own dime.
Elizabeth Vogel says she follows the "see a need, fill a need" motto that she learned from her mother, who's also a nurse.
"Seeing her, like, care for others and having, like, such a loving heart towards people just really inspired me," Vogel explained.
So, in March, when Vogel saw a patient in disarray, she knew she had to step up.
"This patient had like an ulcer on her foot, and I was just asking her like, Hey, how'd you get that ulcer? You know, a little concerned," Vogel recounted. "And she said I have one pair of shoes, and I can't afford another pair of shoes. And, they were hand-me-downs. She didn't even get them brand new. And she got very emotional about it, and it made me emotional, too. And so I was just like, this isn't okay."
Seeing the pain her patient was in and the condition of her shoes, Vogel knew she needed to act.
"The soles of her shoes were stuffed with tissue and, like, all sorts of things, I think I saw, like, a piece of a hanger in there trying to, like, hold her shoe open," explained Vogel.
That day after work, Vogel went out and footed the bill for new shoes, clothes and slippers.
"She was like, they fit like a glove. like they were perfect. And she loved her slippers. She's like, 'I got house shoes now. I'm so excited,'" Vogel said.
Her colleague noticed what she did out of the kindness of her heart and nominated her for the Daisy Award, an international recognition program for extraordinary nurses.
Vogel had no idea when she was surprised with the award Tuesday morning.
"I thought it was just another morning coming in for my shift. It was a huge surprise. Honestly, such an honor when they were talking about what the Daisy Award is and what it represents. And then, when they said my name, I wanted to cry," Vogel said. "It made me very emotional because I do put a lot of heart into it, and so it was just very encouraging to keep doing what I'm doing."
Vogel is the first to receive the Daisy Award at UCHealth Parkview, which is a nationwide honor meant to recognize the exceptional nurses who go above and beyond.
If you have a nurse you want to recognize, nominations for the Daisy Award are open to everyone. You can do so here.
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