For Immediate Release
Contact: Daniel Wackershauser, Marketing and PR Specialist
Phone: 608.822.2303
Mail: 1800 Bronson Blvd., Fennimore, WI 53809
Date of Release: July 23, 2025
Horton selected for DAISY Award
Fennimore -Bridget Horton is the most recent recipient of the DAISY Award at Southwest Wisconsin Technical College. She graduated from the Nursing program in May and has accepted a position at UnityPoint Finley in Dubuque, Iowa, working in the birthing suites. She was presented with the DAISY Award during the Nursing Pinning Ceremony on campus on May 16.
The DAISY Award is a recognition program created to celebrate and recognize nurses by collecting nominations from patients, co-workers, and families. The acronym DAISY stands for Disease Attacking the Immune System, and the foundation was formed by the family of J. Patrick Barnes, who died at 33 due to complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenia Purpura (ITP) in 1999. The family was touched by the compassionate care of the nurses who cared for Patrick and developed the DAISY Award Foundation to honor and celebrate direct care nurses, nursing students, and nursing faculty.
Horton previously completed the Medical Coding and Medical Assistant programs at Southwest Tech, before moving on to the Nursing program. She was working as a medical assistant under the guidance of pediatrician, who highlighted lactation consulting. That was something Horton wanted to do. However, to work in that role, she would have to earn a nursing degree. “I was just amazed at the work that she did,” said Horton. “She encouraged me to return to school.”
During her years at Southwest Tech, Horton has heard from multiple people about the Nursing program. “I’ve heard it from multiple people inside and outside of the college, about the level of skill the nurses are trained to,” she said. “From the hands-on experience in clinical and in the classroom, it gives all of the Southwest Tech Nursing students an edge that employers are really excited to hire.”
The time spent earning her Nursing degree, while juggling the responsibilities of having two young children, taught Horton some valuable lessons. “I can do hard things,” she said. “Nursing school is no walk in the park, but it is 100-percent worth it. I know that it is going to help me realize my endurance and what I can do. I have to remember that going forward. I will be taking on an entirely different role from what I have done.
When Horton learned that she had been selected for the DAISY Award, her heart started pounding. “I looked at my Apple watch and it alerted me that I was not moving, but my heart rate was at about 140,” she joked. “I was overwhelmed. I couldn’t believe it. It felt so good to know that all the work and the dedication and the emotion that I put into nursing school paid off and people recognized that. I am so excited to use that in my new career.”
During the award presentation, Shawna Newton, the previous DAISY Award recipient, highlighted Horton’s compassionate care, among other qualities fitting of the award. “The student who has been selected to receive the DAISY Award offered at SWTC can be described as a someone who demonstrates commitment to providing compassionate care to patients and their families, someone who is always making connections with patients, families, and peers built on a foundation of trust, and advocates fiercely for the patients, the families, and peers. Her compassionate spirit and her unwavering desire to make a difference are exactly what we need in the nursing profession today. Her journey, her balance, and her dedication remind us of all the incredible potential within each of us, and how, with determination, we can achieve anything.”
Horton graduated from Barneveld High School in 2013. Her and her husband, Tyler, along with their two children, currently live in Cobb. The couple is expecting their third child soon. “If it wasn’t for the Southwest Tech Childcare Center and my husband, I wouldn’t have been able to do this,” said Bridget. “He (Tyler) is my rock.”
| Southwest Wisconsin Technical College is one of 16 institutions that comprise the Wisconsin Technical College System. The college was recently named the winner of the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence. Southwest Tech offers more than 60 programs in a wide variety of disciplines. Courses are offered on campus, online, HyFlex and in a blended format. The college provides apprenticeship, certificate, technical diploma, and associate degree programs that respond to district workforce needs and prepare student for family-sustaining jobs and career advancement. |