Donna Braun-Slyman is a 22-year veteran of hospice care nursing and will be among those honored by the Wright State University School of Nursing with a Cameo of Caring at ceremonies November 1, 2018.

Donna is a team player who is always willing to help, always wearing a smile and always there when you need her. Teammates and families love Donna’s personality. Donna is a strong advocate for her patients and families. One family member described Donna as “wonderful and supportive” and a colleague says Donna “is always going above and beyond to give her patients the best care.”

Donna approaches everything with a positive outlook and routinely uses humor with patients and families to ease stressful situations. The daughter of a patient, whose name was also Donna, shared how Donna always made her mom smile by kidding with her about having “2 Donnas” taking care of her.

Donna has served the Dayton community as a Registered Nurse since 1976, when she graduated from Miami Valley School of Nursing. Donna began her nursing career at Franciscan Medical Center in the Post Intensive Care Unit. After 4 years in the PICU, Donna transitioned to the Post Anesthesia Unit where she spent the next 16 years. Then, in 1996, Donna made a career choice in a new direction, joining the Ohio’s Hospice of Dayton team as an Inpatient Nurse. Donna has cared for and touched the lives of hundreds of families and their loved ones over the years. A family member recently described Donna as “top notch” and said “they don’t make them any better.” Donna demonstrates an unwavering commitment to her patients and families and loves caring for them. Bedside nursing is her passion.

Over the years Donna has served as a preceptor for many new nurses, passing along her knowledge to new generations and has been recognized as a Preceptor of Excellence. This past year Donna assisted with the development of the Commemorative Walk at Ohio’s Hospice of Dayton. The Commemorative Walk allows teammates and family members to pay respect to patients who have passed away as they leave the Hospice House.

Donna is very active at Zion Lutheran Church in Tipp City. She has been a Sunday School Teacher, Vacation Bible School Teacher, and Communion Recorder and is very active in outreach activities, including Jeremiah’s Letter, which provides assistance to the homeless. Donna has also volunteered, with her Ohio’s Hospice Teammates, at the Dayton Food Bank. Donna is selfless and always puts others first, with an ability to provide peace and calmness to serve hospice patients, families, and her teammates. Donna is a well-deserving Cameo of Caring Recipient.