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By Roan Smith WRNMMC Office of Command Communications
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center recently recognized U.S. Army 1st Lt. Brooke A. Kerst, a registered nurse in the Mother Infant Care Center (MICC), with the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses. The award, part of an international recognition program, honors nurses who demonstrate clinical excellence, compassion, and commitment to patient-centered care.
Kerst was nominated by a grieving mother who lost her son during delivery. The patient’s heartfelt nomination described Kerst’s empathy and kindness during one of the most difficult moments of the patient’s life. “I will always remember, in a time with a lot of sadness, this nurse helped me get through with my grief,” the patient wrote. “She went above and beyond to care for me and my son.”
“I felt a strong connection to this patient from the beginning, especially in hard times like that nurses need to provide empathetic care,” said Kerst. “I attended a course through Walter Reed regarding Bereavement and utilized a lot of tools learned there.”
While this is Kerst’s first time receiving the DAISY Award, she has been nominated four times in the past year—an impressive testament to the quality of care she consistently provides to patients and families before, during and after delivery.
“There are many times nurses connect with their patients and go the extra mile, not for recognition, but because it is what our patients need and it’s the right thing to do,” Kerst said. “It feels so good to be acknowledged right before [a permanent change of station] and finishing my time here at Walter Reed on a high note.”
As she prepares to transition from Walter Reed to pursue advanced practice nursing, Kerst’s legacy of compassion and professionalism remains a strong example of the nursing excellence celebrated through the DAISY Award. The DAISY Award program was launched at Walter Reed in February 2021. Since the inception, the program has received more than 7,000 nominations, resulting in 147 recipients—including three DAISY Lifetime Achievement Award honorees. The program celebrates both inpatient and outpatient nurses, recognizing them through nominations submitted by patients, families and peers.
| Date Taken: | 07.07.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 07.08.2025 15:02 |
| Story ID: | 542131 |
| Location: | BETHESDA, MARYLAND, US |
| Web Views: | 27 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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