BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Kern County nurses were on the frontlines of the covid-19 pandemic, and as Nurses' Week continues, Bakersfield Heart Hospital is recognizing one of its nurses that hospital administrators say sets a shining example.
Synda Plain is the recipient of the 2023 Daisy Award. She has worked as a nurse for about 40 years.
"It's very nice. I didn't expect that. It's been a pleasant surprise today," said Plain. "I love this place. We started this place in 1999. I enjoyed opening up the hospital with friends and family. It's small, it's intimate. It's just wonderful."
Plain began at Adventist Health where she worked for 14 years. She has been at the Bakersfield Heart Hospital for 23 years working as a registered nurse in the hospital's critical care unit.
Plain says after working at the heart hospital for more than 2 decades, she views the staff as family and is honored to receive this award alongside the other nurses who were also acknowledged.
"Today, it's honoring all the nurses. It's Nurses' Week, so it's a great outcome for all of us," said Plain.
Laura Sabedra, Manager of Marketing and Communications for Bakersfield Heart Hospital, says she too sees the staff as family after working there for 10 years.
"We do have an amazing team," said Sabedra. "It is a family. We all know each other and we all come together in times of crisis, like through covid, and we've all bonded so well. It's a great place to work."
Sabedra says that ultimately, this week is another reminder to the nurses that their hard work never goes unnoticed.
"A lot of times they think, 'This is just me working. This is not important, or it's not anything out of the ordinary,' because they do it every day, but this is an opportunity for Bakersfield Heart Hospital to recognize them and say 'No, what you're doing is very important. It is affecting lives, patient lives, family lives.' Those are the ones who are nominating them," said Sabedra.
Sabedra adds that the hospital hosts Daisy Award events twice a year, once during Nurses' Week and once more in the fall to continue their efforts of acknowledging the dedication of their nurses.
