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Honoring nurses

New sculpture unveiled at UnityPoint; symbolic fixture honors nurses at TRMC

-Messenger photo by Elijah Decious
Deb Shriver, right, watches as Jenni Szalat, left, and Suzanne Foster, center, unveil the new statue inside the main entrance of UnityPoint Health — Trinity Regional Medical Center on Wednesday.

A new sculpture inside the main entrance of UnityPoint Health — Trinity Regional Medical Center, unveiled Wednesday, honors the often unsung heros of the medical field: nurses.

The three-foot tall ”Healer’s Touch” sculpture, crafted with serpentine stone by artists in Zimbabwe, was donated by 39-year nurse and administrator Debra Shriver and her husband, Brian. It sits on a pedestal donated by Scott Johnson at Kallin-Johnson Monument Co., of Fort Dodge.

“We credit Deb’s leadership, belief in lifelong learning, skills and compassion for nursing staff,” said CEO Leah Glasgo at the unveiling ceremony. “Because of her leadership and encouragement, many of our nurses have earned their bachelor’s and master’s degrees — a huge accomplishment as she encouraged them to keep growing and learning.”

And after her retirement in May, Debra Shriver gave Trinity Regional Medical Center another reason to celebrate her service. The new fixture donated by her has been in the works for about 15 months.

The new sculpture, which represents a nurse embracing a patient, has meaningful parellels to the Shona Tribe that made it, where traditional shaman healers are also held in high esteem. The ”Healer’s Touch” symbolizes the relationship between nurses, patients and families.

-Messenger photo by Elijah Decious
Deb Shriver and her husband, Brian, donated the new Healing Touch sculpture symbolizing hope and the keystone work of nurses that now sits inside UnityPoint Health — Trinity Regional Medical Center’s main hospital entrance. Deb Shriver retired in May after 39 years of service as a nurse and administrator

A plaque next to the sculpture shows recent recipients of the DAISY award, also honored by the sculpture’s unveiling.

The DAISY award, which has been awarded to nurses at the Fort Dodge hospital for the last 12 years under Debra Shriver’s leadership, was started by the DAISY Foundation, a non-profit formed in 1989 by the family of J. Patrick Barnes. Barnes died at age 33 of complications from an immune system disorder after eight weeks in a hospital.

The nursing care Patrick received when hospitalized profoundly touched his family. DAISY stands for Diseases Attacking the Immune System.

Extraordinary nurses qualify for the award’s recognition through a positive attitude, exceptional professionalism, extraordinary care to patients and families earned through mutual trust and respect and a focus on meeting patient and family alongside proactive leadership. Recipients of the award demonstrate excellent interpersonal skills and collaboration with health care teams to meet patient and family needs.

“The nurses are the cornerstone of care in our organization,” said Glasgo. “They’re the ones who touch our patients and change lives, so we want them to know how important they are and know the difference they make.”

“It’s a symbol of how much I’ve appreciated all the great staff here and how much I’ve enjoyed working with patients over the years,” said Debra Shriver. “I’m hoping it’s something all staff will be able to enjoy and be able to think about as they provide care.”

Trinity Regional Medical Center hopes the sculture continues to inspire and remind the heroes in scrubs of their impact on the world.

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