Val Buysse is the ‘Spirit of Excellence’
Val Buysse was recently honored with the Avera Marshall's Spirit of Excellence Award. Buysse, an RN, has worked at Avera Marshall for the past 25 years. She worked Home Care for approximately 15 years and then transferred to the Medical Surgical unit when Home Care closed in 2009.
The Spirit of Excellence Award is recognized for sharing, kindness, compassion and patience for those in her care. "I am, of course, very honored to receive the award," she said. "But it is one that most everyone that I work with should receive.”
"It takes a good team to provide the care necessary for our patients on a daily basis, and I couldn't do it without my team. It was especially meaningful though, because it came from a person from another discipline, a Physical Therapist who recognized me. I was very honored by that."
Avera Marshall employees are nominated for the Spirit of Excellence Award by co-workers or patients. A recipient is selected based on their demonstrations of Avera's CARE standards of communication, attitude, responsiveness and engagement.
Buysse was completely surprised recently when told she had won the award. "One morning at work our morning shift was receiving a report for the day," she said. "A number of administrative staff came around the corner with balloons and pounded on the counter as a drum roll and revealed the news to those of us who were working." Buysse was given several gift certificates to participating local merchants for being selected for the award. She also attended a board meeting where she was recognized as the Spirit of Excellence winner.
Buysse's job consists of working as primary nurse in the medical surgical area and occasionally floating down to same-day surgery to assist there. She is also wound and ostomy certified and has worked in that capacity, too.
"It's difficult to sum up what we do because we care for patients as young as two days old needing bili lights, to 90-100 year old people who may have fallen and broken a hip or may be dying of cancer," Buysse explained.
"We also care for a high number of orthopedic surgical patients." Although her job is physically demanding, Buysse finds it especially rewarding. "I enjoy the one-on-one time, although it is very limited that I get with my patients," she said.
"Each day I get more than I give.” "Naturally, people are very apprehensive when they are placed in our 'flowing gowns' and it's my job to put them at ease, get them to smile, and help them on their road to recovery and taking charge of their own health while we learn a little about each other on the way."