HawkStrong: nursing alumna wins DAISY Award for exemplary service

HFC nursing alumna Elizabeth Ashley wasn’t expecting to win the DAISY Award. She didn't even know she had been nominated.

“This was a complete surprise. I was really shocked. I had two nominations – one from my immediate supervisor and the other from a coworker – which was very inspiring. It was touching to hear the things they said about me. I don’t view myself that way. It’s nice to get that recognition,” said Ashley.

Another complete surprise was that her supervisor invited Ashley’s family to the ceremony.

“They were hiding in the back of the room. My boss reached out to them privately and asked them to come,” she recalled. “I turned around and saw my whole family – my husband, my kids, my parents – which was a big surprise. My parents were bawling.”

DAISY Awards are given to nurses who exemplify extraordinary compassion, courage, and integrity in every situation. They consistently demonstrate excellence in the delivery of patient care and promote professional nursing practice.

“Sometimes when you work so hard that you forget all the little things you do for people, then people talk and write about the little things you have done for them,” said Ashley. “It’s really nice to be known, seen, and recognized by others.”

Father and stepfather are influential in her career path and education decisions

The youngest of four, Ashley was born in Dearborn. She lives in Riverview with Matt, her husband of 18 years and fellow HFC graduate, and their two sons. Her older brother Scott Gust attended HFC. Of all her siblings, she is the first person in her family to pursue a college education.

Ashley graduated from Carlson High School in Gibraltar. She attended HFC (then Henry Ford Community College), where she earned her associate degree in nursing. She transferred to Oakland University, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing. She later earned her MBA via an online program at Western Governors University in Millcreek, UT. Recently, she applied for the doctorate in nursing practice program at the University of Michigan-Flint.

Ashley always knew she would go into the healthcare field. For a time, she considered pre-med, but her late father encouraged her to pursue nursing.

“My dad told me that becoming a doctor took more than a decade, and advised me not to wait too long to start my career. He died a month later during my senior year of high school,” she said. “He really changed my mind about looking at nursing. What he said played in my head repeatedly. He was right: Nursing is a good fit for me. It aligns with my belief system and how I take care of people. He knew me better than I knew myself at the time, as most parents often do when their children are young.”

Her stepfather also had an influence on her.

“My stepdad was going to a community college and encouraged us to get a degree and start out at a community college,” said Ashley. “I chose HFC because it was close to home and because it had an excellent nursing program.”

HFC graduates nurses that are well-prepared and successful

One of Ashley’s mentors was Dr. Susan Shunkwiler, the founding dean of the School of Health and Human Services. An alumna of HFC herself, Shunkwiler served as an instructor and administrator at the College for 17 years. She retired in 2021.

“Her lectures were very inspiring,” she Ashley. “She was an inspiring teacher.”

While attending HFC, Ashley was one of 12 nursing students who were selected to work in a cohort at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.

“I had the rest of my courses paid for and a job waiting for me when I graduated from HFC because of that cohort,” she recalled. “I’m always recommending staff members go to HFC if they’re looking to advance themselves. The nursing program is amazing. I love hiring nurses from HFC because they’re well-prepared and typically successful.”

As a nursing leader, she takes great pride in caring for her team

Ashley has been a nurse for 18 years, all of them at Henry Ford Health. She began her nursing career in the respiratory department at HFH Detroit, then found her footing in the Henry Ford Medical Center – Fairlane in Dearborn. Nearly 10 years ago, she began at Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital, navigating all of the challenges that come with the unpredictable nature of ER nursing and management.

For the past five years, Ashley has been the Clinical Nurse Manager and the Manager of the ER and Critical Decision Unit at HFH Wyandotte. She spoke about going into nursing leadership.

“I love being able to take care of my team,” said Ashley. “That way, you’re able to safely take care of your patients. I take pride in caring for my team. A happy staff means happy patients.”

Pandemic made her a better nurse, a better leader, and a more compassionate person

One of the most challenging times during her career was navigating the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It was really scary. This was before any real information was available. I was terrified for the patients and for the staff. We didn’t know what was coming next,” said Ashley. “We were one of the first hospitals to set up a tent for COVID overflow.”

Yet in the face of such overwhelming odds, there was hope.

“It definitely was inspiring at times because the team pulled together and did things they thought they could never do,” said Ashley. “This included opening an ICU and a progressive care unit in the ED. That was something we didn’t think we could do, but we did it. We managed to pull together, so we could take care of everybody.”

Ashley spoke about the impact the pandemic had on her.

“It’s made me a better nurse,” she said. “It’s made all of us better nurses and taught us to be better to ourselves. It is important to practice self-care and make sure we prioritize taking care of ourselves. When you give so much to others, we sometimes forget we have to take care of yourselves. It’s made me more compassionate too.”

Taking pride in servicing the community she lives in

Her ultimate career goal is to become a Chief Nursing Officer for a healthcare system.

“One day when I grew up…” she said, laughing. “I would like to one day become the CNO for HFH. I’ve been here 18 years. I spent my whole career here.”

She takes a great deal of pride knowing she’s servicing the community she lives in.

“Being a community hospital, I can be taking care of a family member and neighbor at any given time and know they’re getting best care,” she said. “There are difficult days. There are some tough cases in the ER, but we have a strong team. The team is like a family. This allows you to decompress with your colleagues and not take the tough cases home with you, which is a blessing.”