Monmouth Medical Center OR Nurse Honored with Nursing Excellence Award

Cheryl is shown with her Perioperative Services' colleagues, holding the signed DAISY Award banner.

Long Branch, NJ, May 12, 2025 - Cheryl Covello, BSN, RN, CNOR, Director of Patient Care of the Operating Room and Endoscopy, who was praised as a true role model, has been honored with the DAISY Nurse Leader Award, endorsed by The DAISY Foundation.

Praised by both nursing and physician colleagues, Cheryl, who joined MMC in 2013 as Assistant Clinical Director for the Cranmer Ambulatory Surgery Center, received multiple nominations for the DAISYNurse LeaderAward. Among the comments shared were:

Cheryl is extraordinarily professional while being compassionate. She handles the hard stuff, doesn't brush off the little stuff, and listens to everyone. She prioritizes so efficiently, and her leadership is what makes periop function so effectively. She has the unique ability to intake every request, suggestion, complaint, and issue with the same level of importance and respect. She makes our team feel like our voices are heard, our issues are valid, and our ideas are great. She does not solve all our issues, but lifts us up to become problem solvers ourselves. Cheryl does an excellent job of empowering staff to provide great care and to improve themselves. When staff present ideas for improvement, she assists in all the right ways to facilitate but not overtake that mission. She empowers us professionally to reach our personal and professional goals. I am always in awe of the way Cheryl conducts herself professionally and with grace. She speaks eloquently, listens effectively, and does not appear frazzled by the largest of issues. She is, rightfully, so well respected the clinical and ancillary staff, the physicians, fellow leaders, and administration. I rave to everyone in my life how lucky I am to have Cheryl as my boss. She sees her staff as competent and most importantly as real people with lives that exist outside of this hospital.

Cheryl is beyond deserving of the DAISY Nurse Leader Award. She has gone above-and-beyond to show compassion and is what a Nurse Leader should be.She is always promoting the image of nursing within the organization through example, specifically in her communication with the Endoscopy team. Cheryl has a can-do attitude. She is confident and willing to deal with problems, rather than giving up or sweeping things under the rug. Cheryl is always approachable, and present. Since Cheryl became the director of patient care, she has made countless positive changes to the Endoscopy unit. The biggest change would have to be the moral of the unit. Cheryl has done this by helping us improve the communication within the department. Whenever there is an issue, we know that Cheryl will do everything within her power to resolve it. She is extremely professional and shows the greatest support of our team. She is always encouraging us to be the best we can be. She supports us in our goals and helps develop a realistic plan for achievement. She is never shy on compliments or recognition. Cheryl is a true example of a Nurse Leader.

Cheryl is always available both during regular and off hours to review any issues. She is cognizant of all the surgeons' and patients' needs and works tireless to make sure all needs are met. She is clearly a leader with her staff and is an excellent role model.

Cheryl is shown center with, from left, Dr. Kenneth Granet, Chief Medical Officer; Cory Lasker, Vice President of Finance; Lauren Fleming, MA, BSN, RN, MEDSURG-BC, Magnet Program Director; Dr. Dmitry Oleynikov, Chair of Surgery; Jenna DiBartolo, MSN, RN, CNOR, Assistant Vice President, Perioperative Services; and Ann Szapor, MBA, BSN, RN, NEA-BC, Chief Nursing Officer.

DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System. The DAISY Foundation was formed by the family of Patrick Barnes who died at age 33 of complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), an auto-immune disease. His widow, Tena, (a DAISY Co-founder) created the acronym, and the Foundation and established the DAISY Recognition Program to honor the super-human work nurses do every day at the bedside.

Learn more at rwjbh.org/daisyaward.

Contact: Kathy Horan
(732) 546-6317
Kathy.Horan@rwjbh.org