Celebrating the CU Nursing Alumni Association DAISY Awardees

Join us in celebrating Megan Champion and Chantal Dengah, the CU Nursing Alumni Association DAISY Awardees for 2021.

2021 Recipient of the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Faculty: Megan Champion, FNP, MS Class of 2015

CU College of Nursing faculty Megan Champion receives 2021 Daisy Award

The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Faculty was established to demonstrate appreciation to faculty for their commitment and inspirational influence on their nursing students and to say thank you to nursing faculty everywhere. This DAISY Award is awarded to a CU Nursing faculty member (including preceptors, clinical faculty, and classroom faculty) that excels in the following criteria:

1. Serves as a role model and mentor for professional nursing.
2. Demonstrates enthusiasm for teaching, learning, and nursing that inspires and motivates students. Demonstrates interest in and respect for learners.
3. Is fair and unbiased in her/her/their treatment of individual students.
4. Practices cultural awareness in teachings and is dedicated to equity in healthcare.
5. Possesses excellent interpersonal skills. Develops collaborative working relationships with students and colleagues.

Nomination by Nabil Cameron, MS Class of 2021

“From our first interaction, Meg exemplified what a preceptor should be like-warm, caring, approachable, and willing to teach. She creates intentional learning moments and experiences for her students, allowing us to truly feel comfortable in our learning environment. In past rotations, I have hesitated on admitting I did not know something, but with her, I know I am safe, and it is just another learning moment for me.

I have heard of the wonderful reputation she has with all students – as multiple students in my cohort have been fortunate enough to have her as a preceptor. The resonating opinion across the board is ‘Meg is amazing!’ Although she is pulled in different directions while in the clinic (she is also the assistant director), she always remains professional and calm towards her staff, patients, and students. I have witnessed what an important and essential quality this is as a preceptor and provider-even experienced individuals in these roles allow their frustrations and stress to spill over, but I have never seen this happen with Meg.

You can tell how valued and appreciated she is among her staff and other providers as well. I often see various staff members dropping by throughout the day simply to say hello or check in. Even in her busiest times, she greets everyone warmly and makes them feel as they are the most important person to her at that moment. She is a true leader in her field-towards staff, students, and patients.

As she works serving an underserved community, it is amazing to me how she is so culturally competent and non-judgmental in her interactions with all her patients. We see patients from all backgrounds come to the clinic – homeless or in unsafe living situations, those detoxing from illegal substances, and those with multiple issues who have never been able to seek care. She treats them all with the utmost dignity and respect. Many have finally found a place where they feel heard and cared for.

Now as a provider, I can fondly look back at my interactions and clinical experiences with Meg and see how they shaped me to become the provider I am becoming. I have thought of her wisdom and clinical expertise often when I am handling a difficult patient situation. Her impact on my life was not only during our time together, but it was also lifelong.”

Nomination by Christopher Neuman, Clinical Operations Manager at Sheridan Health Services

“Megan Champion consistently demonstrates confidence and leadership and shows respect and concern for others. She is extremely knowledgeable and uses her outstanding communication skills to guide nursing students in becoming better providers and better people. Megan is a natural teacher who can understand the perspectives of her students and guide them in a style that is most conducive to their learning. She exemplifies a keen sense of caring for others which is apparent to all the students she encounters. Megan treats all students with profound respect and consistently challenges her students to provide high-quality medical care, while also challenging them to be better people. Megan works in a clinic that serves the underserved. She is passionate about ensuring that all individuals receive high-quality medical care. Additionally, she ensures that her students understand cultural differences and the barriers to health care that underserved individual’s experience. Megan seeks out opportunities to make others feel important and recognized. She demonstrates for her students the value of integrated care and how collaboration results in better outcomes for patients.”

Learn more about Megan Champion’s work.

2021 Recipient of the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Students: Chantal Dengah, BSN Class of 2019, MSN Class of 2021

CU College of Nursing student Chantal Dengah receives 2021 Daisy Award

The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Students was created to recognize and celebrate nursing students for the above-and-beyond care and compassion shown to patients and their families. Students with a true calling to nursing never lose sight of the fact that they are treating a human being who needs all the sensitivity and compassion they can bring to them while they are the most vulnerable. This DAISY Award is awarded to a current CU Nursing student (graduate, undergraduate, or doctoral) who excels in the clinical setting and meets the following criteria:

1. Advocates strongly for and demonstrates a commitment to compassionate care of patients and families. Makes a connection with patients, families, and peers by building trust and respect.
2. Has a passion for learning in the profession of nursing.
3. Demonstrates future leadership potential.

Nomination by Dr. Priscilla Nodine

“Chantal Dengah advocates strongly for, and demonstrates commitment to compassionate care of patients and families. She makes a connection with patients, families and peers by building trust and respect. This fall, Chantal is in her last semester as a student in the Master’s degree, Nurse-midwifery program. Preceptor feedback highlights her connection with patients, their families, and her colleagues. She prioritizes communication and patient education to ensure that her care is patient centered.

Chantal is able to walk in a room and read it, she is able to connect with a birthing mother and her family, give suggestions for a physiologic birth, is creative in care, using peanut balls, toilets, rebozo, tug of war, etc. Our patient population is very diverse.  From a physician to an undocumented refugee with no prenatal care. It takes great talent to know how to educate the families so they feel a part of their care, Chantal excels at this. She feels confident suggesting hydrotherapy and aromatherapy, and is able to give the physical therapy and partner choices and can describe them, then make a shared decision.

Chantal comes very well prepared, is curious, asks many questions, if she is not sure she looks up current literature, practices evidence-based midwifery. She is always on time even though she has 3 children she must get ready for the day as she is a single mom. She will always stay late if she has childcare to see a patient through her labor. She does not complain even though she has many things in life that could get her down, she is a doer, she gets it done and on her own signs up for more clinic or labor shifts to be a better midwife. She sought out experiences that were unique so that she will have one of the most well-rounded CVs upon graduation.

Chantal is an exceptional student in both didactic and clinical courses. She reads beyond what is assigned, delving further into a topic than is required and broadening the whole class’s understanding of the material by sharing her knowledge. She asks relevant and thought-provoking questions. Her learning style is that of a life-long learner.

A clear example of her studying and work ethic is a “toolkit” that she designed containing a list of resources to provide best practice/EBP care to all patients. Her focus is not the grades but to prepare herself to be the best nurse-midwife for her patients. She has also been a teaching assistant at CU Nursing, teaching BSN students in the Nursing for Childbearing Families Course in 2020-2021

Faculty has always been impressed with Chantal’s leadership potential. Even with her other responsibilities, including being a single mother and working during graduate school, she finds time to help others through her leadership and service. She was the CU Nursing student representative to American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM), the basket coordinator for the Colorado ACNM fundraiser, and a student mentor.

Chantal is a natural leader and is involved in several pivotal organizations. Since 2019, she has been an active member of the Western Institute of Nursing, the CU College of Nursing Alumni Association (and a member of their Student Success Committee), and since 2020, she has been a participating member of the Colorado Perinatal Care Quality Collaborative. She is a thoughtful student, who shows benevolence to her colleagues and patients. She is a star in her graduate program here and will be a compelling leader in nursing moving forward.”

Learn more about Chantal’s story.

Do you know an exceptional CU Nursing graduate who deserves recognition? Nominate a deserving nurse today for the CU Nursing Annual Alumni Association Awards.