Awards, Gerber Memorial Hospital

Gerber Memorial nurse recognized for inspiring student to commit to a career in nursing, caring for others

July 2, 2020

FREMONT, Mich., July 2, 2020 – Great nurses demonstrate their healing skills and compassion to patients and families every day. Some of them also inspire others to follow in their footsteps and commit to a life of service to and empathy for the patients in their care.

For West Shore Community College nursing student Grace Alvesteffer, those two qualities combined inspired her enough to nominate Tessa Grewe, RN, and her mentor at Spectrum Health Gerber Memorial’s Emergency Department, for a DAISY Award recognizing exceptional nursing care.

“Even if I was unsure of myself, Tessa guided me through it and gave me the confidence that I needed,”

Alvesteffer wrote in her nomination. “Tessa has inspired me to go into the Emergency Department with her fantastic bedside manner and caring to help me learn. I will be a better registered nurse someday because of Tessa’s willingness to teach me and let me experience new skills. I am forever grateful for Tessa’s teaching and kindness. She is a prime example of what a great nurse should be.”

A resident of Kent City, Grewe has been a registered nurse at Gerber Memorial since 2016.

“Grace has so much caring, empathy and ability, and I’m confident she’ll be a terrific registered nurse who will provide exceptional care and compassion for her patients, their families and the community,” Grewe said. “As a nurse, I try every day to see each patient, know them and understand as best I can what we can do to make sure the care we provide to them is personalized and tailored for their needs. I’m honored and humbled that Grace is taking that example with her as she continues in her journey in nursing.”

As a DAISY Award honoree, Grewe received a certificate commending her for being an “Extraordinary Nurse.”  The certificate reads: “In deep appreciation of all you do, who you are, and the incredibly meaningful difference you make in the lives of so many people.” The honoree also receives a beautiful sculpture called A Healer’s Touch, hand-carved from serpentine stone by artists of the Shona tribe in southern Africa.

Nurses may be nominated by patients, families and colleagues, and they are chosen by a committee of nurses at Gerber Memorial to receive the award.

Part of a national program, the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses is part of the DAISY Foundation’s program to recognize the super-human efforts nurses perform every day.

Nomination forms are available at nursing stations throughout the hospital and patients can submit those forms either by placing them in gray boxes near those forms or by handing them to a nurse or other hospital staff. Nominating forms will also be available at the hospital’s main lobby, as well as included in admission packets.

The not-for-profit DAISY Foundation is based in Glen Ellen, Calif., and was established by family members in memory of J. Patrick Barnes. Barnes died at the age of 33 in 1999 from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), a little known but not uncommon auto-immune disease. The care Barnes 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.

For more information about The DAISY Award and the Foundation’s other recognition of nurses, faculty and students, visit www.DAISYfoundation.org.

Patients, visitors, nurses, physicians, and associates are encouraged to nominate a deserving nurse by filling out the nomination form at reception located at the main hospital entrance. Completed forms can be dropped off or emailed to shgminfo@spectrumhealth.org.

People are at the heart of everything we do, and the inspiration for our legacy of outstanding outcomes, innovation, strong community partnerships, philanthropy and transparency. Corewell Health is a not-for-profit health system that provides health care and coverage with an exceptional team of 60,000+ dedicated people—including more than 11,500 physicians and advanced practice providers and more than 15,000 nurses providing care and services in 21 hospitals, 300+ outpatient locations and several post-acute facilities—and Priority Health, a provider-sponsored health plan serving more than 1.3 million members. Through experience and collaboration, we are reimagining a better, more equitable model of health and wellness. For more information, visit corewellhealth.org.

Contact:
Azlan Ibrahim
Communications Manager
Office: 231.924.1264
Mobile: 616.227-1940
Email: azlan.ibrahim@spectrumhealth.org