UP Health System – Portage Emergency Medicine Nurse Clara Pietila, RN, Honored with DAISY Award

UP Health System – Portage is proud to honor Clara Pietila, RN, with The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses®. The award is part of the DAISY Foundation’s mission to recognize the extraordinary, compassionate nursing care provided to patients and families every day. 

Clara has been a registered nurse for the past seven years, previously working as an ICU nurse at a hospital in Wausau, Wisconsin, and a travel ICU nurse. Clara joined the UPHS – Portage nursing team in May of 2024 and cares for patients in the Emergency Department (ED). Nurses and providers in the ED play a critical role in providing immediate care to patients experiencing urgent or life-threatening conditions. From triaging patients to crisis management and high-stakes direct bedside care, their responsibilities are diverse and demanding, often requiring quick decision-making and multitasking. They’re known for their quick thinking and ability to multitask and calm under pressure, all while providing compassionate care in an unpredictable environment. Clara was nominated by a patient who received care by her earlier this year — the full nomination is below.

" I'm 82 and live alone. I lost my balance and fell on my face on the hard floor of my house. I hit my nose and forehead hard. I was bleeding profusely and in a lot of pain. I had to be transported by ambulance to the UP Health System – Portage emergency room, There, Nurse Clara Pietila was the first to greet me and roll me into an exam room. There she talked to me with gentle, calming words, trying to reassure me and my daughter, who was even more distraught than I was. She continued to converse with us quietly until she calmed us down before she even started any medical procedures like taking my vitals and hooking me up to an automated blood pressure monitor and ECG. Then she took the time to explain clearly what would happen next, which was a CT scan of my head. She met me in the hallway after the scan was done and accompanied me back to the exam room, informing us of the next steps. She explained that the radiologist would have to read the CT images, which could take an hour or more. She checked in on me periodically during the hour and 20 minutes it took to get the radiologist's report. With her big smile and kind voice, she then told me that I had a fractured nose, but no brain bleed. She remembered my earlier request for a cup of ice water, which she had explained that I could not have until the CT scan results came in, and she promptly brought it in without me having to ask for it again. Then she told me the name of the ER doctor, whom she said would be in to see me soon. While I waited to see the doctor, she checked in on me a couple more times and gave me updates on the waiting time.

After I talked with the doctor, who was also very friendly and didn't act rushed—although I'm sure she was—Nurse Pietila came back in to give me extra-strength Tylenol to take there and also some to take home. She clearly explained the dosing and time between doses. She also described any symptoms of serious complications to watch for and what to do if they occurred, all in that calming, clear way she has of speaking to an upset patient. She even looked into taxis that ran at night to take us home, since it was 11:30 pm by then. My daughter doesn't drive, and there is no public transportation at night in our small town. If anyone deserves the Daisy Award, it is Nurse Clara Pietila. Her kind, reassuring manner, the way she remembers earlier requests, her frequent check-ins, and her clear explanations made all the difference to me and my daughter. She takes the time and makes the extra effort to keep her patients calm and informed, even though I know that ER nurses have many urgent demands on their time and attention. She is our angel, and we will bless her forever."

UP Health System – Portage also recognizes our other nurses who were nominated for the DAISY Award this quarter:

• Rebekka Mikkola, RN
• Jenae Meyette, RN
• Jill Daavettla, RN
• Evan Hyrkas, RN
• Fawn Vater, RN
• Danielle Stevens, RN

The DAISY Foundation is a not-for-profit organization established in memory of J. Patrick Barnes by members of his family. 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. (DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System.) 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 patients and their families.

Patients, families and colleagues may nominate nurses. Nominations are reviewed by a committee at UP Health System – Portage, which then selects the winner. Awards are presented throughout the year at celebrations attended by the honoree’s colleagues, patients, friends and family.  Each honoree receives a certificate commending them that 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.” Honorees also receive a DAISY Award pin and a beautiful and meaningful sculpture called A Healer’s Touch, hand-carved by artists of the Shona Tribe in Zimbabwe.

Bonnie Barnes, FAAN, chief executive officer and co-founder of The DAISY Foundation said, “When Patrick was critically ill, our family experienced first-hand the remarkable skill and care nurses provide patients every day and night. Yet these unsung heroes are seldom recognized for their super-human, extraordinary, compassionate work. The kind of work the nurses at UP Health System – Portage are called on to do every day epitomizes the purpose of the DAISY Award.”

"One of our top priorities is making sure our nurses know how valued and appreciated they are for the incredible, lifesaving care they provide every day," stated Casey Baird, MBA, BSN, RN, CPPS, chief nursing officer, UP Health System-Portage. "The DAISY Award is one way we do that and we are proud to participate in the program, as we are proud of all our nursing staff."

In addition to the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses, the Foundation expresses gratitude to the nursing profession internationally in over 3,900 healthcare facilities and schools of nursing with recognition of direct care nurses, nurse-led teams, nurse leaders, nursing faculty and nursing students, through the J. Patrick Barnes Grants for Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice Projects and nurses participating in medical missions.

To nominate an extraordinary nurse for the DAISY Award, visit our website. For more information on the DAISY Award, please visit the DAISY Foundation website.