BENNINGTON, Vt. — Bentley Munsell, a registered nurse in the Emergency Department, was the February recipient of the Daisy Award for Extraordinary Nurses at Southwestern Vermont Health Care.

 

"Bentley's combination of skill and experience, along with his gentle and compassionate manner, are so reassuring to patients," said Pamela Duchene, SVHC's chief nursing officer and vice president for Patient Care Services. "He is able to set people at ease and deliver the important information patients need in a way they easily understand, even when they are initially quite scared or upset. We are so grateful to have him on the team."

 

Duchene gave the award during a surprise presentation in the Emergency Department at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center on the morning of Feb. 17.

 

Munsell received two nominations from patients.

 

The first nominators are a couple who arrived to the Emergency Department distraught at having discovered a new symptom of a serious condition. 

 

"Bentley was very reassuring and guided us through the process," the nominators wrote. "The empathy this nurse showed to us [made] a huge impact on how the rest of the visit went."

 

The second nomination was from a family whose 3-year-old son needed stitches. 

 

"Bentley was the first [person] we met… upon entering [the Emergency Department], and I am grateful for that," the family wrote. "It was scary for us, but [Bentley] kept his cool and made us feel so comfortable."

 

Munsell was "shocked" when he received the award during a surprise ceremony in the Emergency Department.

 

"I just come to work and try to give the best nursing care I can," he said. "My colleagues who have been recognized are exceptional. To be recognized alongside them … I am honored."  

 

Munsell holds bachelor degrees in biology and psychology from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams, Mass., and a bachelor's in nursing from University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He is a student in the master's degree program in nursing at Chicago-based Rush University. He has worked at SVMC since 2015, when he started as an Emergency Department technician. He became a nurse at SVMC in 2018, after having earned his nursing degree.

 

Munsell serves on the Night Shift Council and the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee and chairs the Nursing Advisory Council, a committee that works to advance nursing and nursing care across the health system. In addition, he is a certified emergency nurse with the Board of Certification in Emergency Nursing.

 

The Daisy Award is part of a national merit-based recognition program established by the Daisy Foundation. It celebrates nurses' education, training, and skill. Nominations can be submitted by patients, families, physicians, and colleagues. All nominations are blinded, so that they are anonymous before being reviewed by a selection committee. One nurse is then chosen as the Daisy Award winner. Daisy Awards are presented on a regular basis, usually bi-monthly or quarterly.