Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center Names Nurse of the Year

Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center is proud to honor Kristi Ermigarat, RN, as its Nurse of the Year.

Ermigarat received her award during the hospital’s annual service awards banquet, which took place during Hospital Week and Nurses Week (May 6-12, 2018).

In March, Ermigarat received the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses. She was nominated as Nurse of the Year after being narrowed down from Sierra Vista’s group of monthly DAISY Award winners.

“Kristi has been a valued team member at Sierra Vista for 15 years. She began as an EMT in the emergency department, worked in the lab, and later became a registered nurse in our emergency department,” said Art Dominguez, Chief Nursing Officer at Sierra Vista. “She is known for her leadership, calm demeanor and contagious smile that everyone knows and loves.”

Ermigarat’s co-workers say she is consistently going above and beyond in her nursing role. She keeps calm even in the most stressful situations. She sets a precedent in the emergency department that no matter how stressful and hectic the day may be, the team will make it through together. Ermigarat leads by example and is a shining star in her department.

During the awards banquet, Ermigarat was presented with a certificate, the Statue of Caring, which was hand-carved by a tribe member in Zimbabwe, and flowers. She even received the first ever Nurse of the Year parking space.

The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses is a special program that recognizes the incredible work nurses display on a daily basis, and recognizes those who go above and beyond for their patients and families. It was created by the DAISY Foundation, which was founded in memory of J. Patrick Barnes by his parents after they experienced firsthand the compassion and care of their son’s nurses.