ANMC nurse Meg Mapili earns DAISY Award
March 11, 2019
ANMC’s nurses provide culturally appropriate, family-centered care in a unique hospital environment, and they are constantly seeking ways to improve the services and care we provide. In an effort to further recognize our nurses for their outstanding work, ANMC partnered with the DAISY Award, an international program that rewards and celebrates the extraordinary clinical skill and compassionate care given by nurses every day.
Congratulations to DAISY Award honoree, Meg Mapili, an RN on ANMC’s Inpatient Pediatrics unit who was recognized at an impromptu award ceremony where she was presented with a certificate, a DAISY Award pin, a hand-carved stone sculpture and a special beaded badge holder. Many of her colleagues and ANMC leadership attended the ceremony to show their appreciation and support for Mapili, who was surprised and thankful for the recognition.
Mapili was nominated by a patient’s mother, who wrote: “My son has Type 1 diabetes. He was admitted to the unit. Meg was my son’s nurse. My son had a strong connection with Meg and he would light up when he saw her. Not only did Meg ease and calm my son during rough days of insulin injections. She helped me emotionally, clearly stating that it wasn’t my fault and that indeed I am a good mom for catching this disease early. Meg was extremely patient with us both as we learned of this huge lifestyle change. She was there every step of the way. She’s a gem and an amazing teacher.”
“It means so much to me to receive such an honored award. Working as a nurse definitely has its fair share of ups and downs, but I feel like through everything we get to experience – it is such a rewarding career,” said Mapili. “I always thought that I’m ‘just a nurse,’ but I never thought I’d have such a big impact on my patients’ lives. I can’t imagine having a career other than nursing. I really feel I’ve found my calling and I honestly can’t believe that I could deserve something like this, but I feel really humbled and thankful.”
Mapili began working at ANMC in 2010 as a certified nursing assistant (CNA) in the Critical Care Unit (CCU). While she was working as a CNA, Mapili was continuing her education to become a nurse. After she graduated nursing school and passed her board license, Mapili started working in ANMC’s Central Nursing Office in January 2013, eventually transferring to the CCU and working there for four years and then transferring to Inpatient Pediatrics in August 2018.
“I love working at ANMC because I feel valued, especially from my director, managers, the doctors, and my coworkers,” said Mapili. “I feel like I have a strong team that cares about me and our patients. We work together and are there to support one another. I also really admire the Alaska Native culture, and it actually reminds me of my own culture and upbringing. The sense of family is such a big part of the culture and seeing their care and love for one another, is something that I really appreciate.”
The DAISY Foundation was established in 1999 by the family of J. Patrick Barnes, who died of complications of the autoimmune disease Idiopathic Thrombocytopenia Purpura. DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune SYstem.
Patients, their families and fellow ANMC staff can nominate nurses for DAISY Awards. Nomination forms and collection boxes have been placed throughout the ANMC hospital.
Subsequent honorees will be selected quarterly and each DAISY Award honoree will be recognized at a public ceremony in her or his unit or department. For more information about the DAISY Award program, please visit www.DAISYfoundation.org. For questions about nominating an ANMC nurse, please email Kimberley Carr at krcarr@anthc.org.