Three Illini staff earn awards during Nurse Week
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Amanda McDonald
Emily Feenstra
Jesse Schnepf
Emily Feenstra, Amanda McDonald and Jesse Schnepf were nominated by their peers and won awards during National Nurse Week activities at Illini Community Hospital.
Feenstra, an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse-Family Nurse Practitioner (APRN-FNP) at Illini Rural Health Clinic, received the Blessing Health System 2025 Advanced Practice Registered Nurse award.
Emily’s nomination for the award featured two stories that the nominator said demonstrated that, “She makes sure that her patients have what they need to improve their health and if they don’t, she makes sure to get them the necessary resources so that can happen.”
The first story was about Emily being at a nursing home to see an Illini Rural Health Clinic patient, when she came upon another Rural Health Clinic patient being transferred to the home’s memory care unit. Emily knew the patient did not require memory care and worked to get the decision reversed.
“The patient was put back in their normal room and was so thankful that Emily intervened,” the nomination stated. “Emily spoke up for a patient when they couldn’t do so for themselves.”
The second story featured a young mother who was missing her monthly appointments, only to make new appointments to address medical situations when they became a concern to her.
“Emily asked the mother if she needed to be seen at the Clinic more frequently than monthly, to make sure she is taken care of quicker, so she doesn’t continue to cancel and push it off,” the nomination stated. “The patient agreed and said that maybe if she was seen within a couple weeks versus a month, she would make it more of a priority to come in since it will be fresher on her mind.”
“It was a good conversation with a patient to make sure they are getting themselves taken care of and making sure we are able to care for them to the best of our ability,” the nomination concluded. “Emily is an amazing, caring, and smart nurse practitioner and we are so lucky to have her.”
McDonald, an RN in the Emergency Department received the Illini Community Hospital Registered Nurse Award. The nomination read in part: “Amanda is experienced, kind and compassionate. Her experience came from the ICU at Blessing. Amanda is a steady, calm presence. She provides care to the whole family when she cares for the patient. Things do take longer in the hospital as opposed to “right away” when patients are discharged. Amanda is able to provide information using key words and communicates with them so they know they are receiving excellent care and that no detail has been left unmet.”
Schnepf a certified medical assistant at Illini Rural Health Clinic, earned the Illini Community Hospital Partner in Caring Award, for non-nursing staff. Her nomination read, in part: “Jesse is quick to get patients settled, get their detailed history, listen to their needs and relay the appropriate information to the nurse or provider. She helps the patients become at ease while in our office and we often hear her laughing with a patient in a room and always see her smiling.”
“Jesse is quick to notice a change in a patient or a concern that requires more immediate attention. She is familiar with many patients and their families, so is able to remember things like the patient is in a wheelchair to make sure they have an appropriate exam room, sized to meet their needs. Jesse is smart, dependable, funny, and caring and we are so lucky to have her,” the nomination concluded.
