Roller receives international DAISY Award

     Kelsey Roller RN, BSN, of Monticello, a 2010 graduate of Midland High School, was a recent recipient of the coveted DAISY Award on Nov. 13 while working at Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids.

   Roller has worked in the Mercy Birthplace department since 2019.

   “My one and only nursing job,” she said proudly of having found her ideal career.

   The DAISY (Diseases Attacking the Immune System) Award “is an international recognition program that honors and celebrates the skillful, compassionate care nurses provides every day” throughout the world. Any licensed, registered nurse, nursing facility, or nursing school is eligible to be nominated for the DAISY Award. Anyone can also nominate a nurse for the award.

   Roller was nominated by a couple from Martelle who had their little baby girl at Mercy in Cedar Rapids on Sept. 26, Jesse Runquist and Dakota Nelson.

   “Kelsey went above and beyond for us,” expressed Runquist. “It was trying year for us with multiple miscarriages; we tried everything to get pregnant.”

   Runquist was still in labor when Roller’s shift ended, yet Roller stayed with the couple.

   “She didn’t leave me,” continued Runquist.

   As a nurse herself with Mercy, Runquist said Roller’s bedside manner was a source of comfort throughout her labor and pain.

   “She just kept calm,” she said.

   Runquist did not want to have an epidural, instead hoping to experience a natural birth.

   “I tapped out, though, and got an epidural,” she shared. “Kelsey didn’t make me feel like a failure.”

   At the end of her labor, they were told the umbilical cord was wrapped their daughter’s neck. Runquist’s boyfriend just stared at her.

   “We both looked at Kelsey and asked, ‘What’s going on?’ She told us it was all going to be OK. We put all of our trust in her that day,” said Runquist.

   She admitted it was hard filling out the DAISY Award application, putting into words how much Roller truly meant to them. Runquist said they know this will be their only child, and they could not have asked for a better nurse to be with them throughout their birthing experience.

   “Nurses always horrible patients themselves,” joked Runquist.

   “I had a great rapport (with Runquist and Nelson) throughout the day during their labor process,” shared Roller. “We had many laughs and many ‘come to Jesus’ moments when things ramped up and got difficult.

   “Jesse did wonderful with her laboring even when we had laughable disagreements throughout labor about repositioning and handling the discomfort,” continued Roller. “This family has left a lasting impression on my heart. They are a great memory for me!”

   Runquist knew about the DAISY Award. During her first week at home on maternity leave, she got right to work nominating Roller. When she didn’t hear anything for over a month, she assumed the nomination got passed up.

   “When I didn’t hear anything, I thought she didn’t get it,” said Runquist. “But I thought it was a small gesture on my part for how great she was to us; it’s a simple thing to do. She was a saving Grace for us that day.”

   Finally, the couple heard that Roller had been selected and would they like to be there for the surprise.

   “Absolutely we wanted to be there!” said Runquist.

   When the family got to Mercy, they were in the waiting room, hoping Roller wouldn’t walk past and notice them.

   “Then Kelsey walked past us coming off the elevator,” said Runquist. “We hoped we hadn’t blown it. She would have wondered why we were there.”

   When they were directed to a conference room, Roller’s family was also there for the surprise occasion.

   Roller said she received a “mysterious email” a week before the award, inviting her to a nursing excellence dinner. When she asked about the nature of the email, no one seemed to know…

   “I forgot about it and then was surprised with the (DAISY) award a week later,” she said.

   To join in on the surprise, Roller’s husband brought their 5-year-old twin girls and 1½-year old daughter.

   “They kept the secret from me,” she said. “He was able to get them all up and ready to be at (Mercy) by 7:30 a.m. for the surprise.”

    Her parents and in-laws also came, as did many of her Birthplace co-workers.

   “It was definitely a tearful moment for all of us,” Roller said.

   Roller said she always knew she wanted to be a labor and delivery nurse. As a kid, she remembers watching “A Birth Story” on the TLC network.

   “It was fascinating to me,” she said. “Nursing school sounded like the right choice for me after high school.”

   She earned both her RN (registered nurse) and BSN (bachelor of science in nursing) from Allen College in 2015.

   “It wasn’t easy,” admitted Roller.

   In receiving the DAISY Award, Roller was gifted a “Healer’s Touch” sculpture carved by an artist in Zimbabwe, which represents the bond between nurses and their patients. She also got a DAISY honoree pin, flowers, a certificate, and treats to share. She will be featured on the DAISY Award website, along with her story.

   “This profession is my heart, besides my family, of course. I have such a strong passion for advocating for women and families in pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum. I have witnessed the lack of support postpartum, so much so that I am starting a postpartum doula business called ‘Hardscrabble Hope.’ I bring my heart and soul into every shift in the Birthplace. There are so many families who have touched me as I have touched them.”