Kristina Pansa Honored With DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses

Kristina Pansa, BSN, RN, of Christiana Hospital, has received the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses.

ChristianaCare DAISY Award recipients are nurses recognized for meeting and exceeding the needs and expectations of patients and families by displaying exceptional clinical skills, compassion, calm, respect and partnership.

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Pansa, a nurse in the hospital’s medical intensive care unit (MICU) since 2018, was nominated by the father of a patient who was brought to the emergency department with septic shock. Pansa was the patient’s nurse when he was transferred to the MICU later that day. She cared for him with “intensity and dedication,” the patient’s father wrote in his nomination.

“Kristina got him hooked up to all the machines needed to keep him alive,” the patient’s father wrote. “She never stopped moving and continuously checked and double checked his condition. I don’t think she even took a break that day.”

Throughout that first day, the patient’s father wrote, Pansa was compassionate and caring with the patient and his parents.

“She kept us very well-informed on everything that was being done to help our son in plain language and with care for our feelings,” the patient’s father wrote.

“I firmly believe she was on a crusade to keep him from death’s door that day and our family will be ever grateful for her tireless work.”

The patient was later discharged to rehabilitation.

Pansa, who also has a degree in biochemistry, designed and implemented rehabilitative programs for at-risk youth before becoming a nurse.

Nominate a ChristianaCare nurse for a DAISY Award.

The Professional Nurse Council at ChristianaCare selects DAISY Award recipients using an anonymous selection process based on nominations from patients, families and all members of the ChristianaCare team. All nurses — inpatient, outpatient and ChristianaCare HomeHealth — are eligible.