Sherry
Chesak
May 2026
Sherry
Chesak
,
PhD, MS, RN
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis
,
MN
United States
Her leadership, innovation, and commitment to preparing healthcare professionals to thrive have had a meaningful impact on students and colleagues.
It is my honor to recommend Dr. Sherry Chesak, Clinical Professor of Nursing at the University of Minnesota School of Nursing, for the DAISY Scholarship in Practice Award. Over the past three years, Dr. Chesak has brought her expertise as a nurse scientist and researcher to the University of Minnesota and the surrounding Minnesota community. Throughout this time, she has integrated her scholarship on flourishing and resilience into meaningful initiatives that impact students, healthcare professionals, and the broader healthcare ecosystem.
Dr. Chesak’s scholarship on flourishing has transformed the way healthcare professionals and students think about caring for themselves to sustain the capacity to care for others. Through her work, she has translated research on resilience and well-being into tangible programming that supports students in building sustainable, healthy careers. She has been instrumental in leading the development of the Center for Flourishing Health Care Communities, an initiative dedicated to promoting flourishing, resilience, well-being, and leadership across healthcare education and practice.
The mission of this center is to strengthen the dynamic relationships among healthcare
students, professionals, and the healthcare ecosystem in order to cultivate cultures of
flourishing within healthcare. Dr. Chesak consistently demonstrates curiosity, openness,
innovation, and excellence through her teaching, mentorship, and collaborative leadership, demonstrating the core principles of the center.
Dr. Chesak has also successfully bridged the gap between scholarship and practice through innovative student programming. Through a series of webinars and in-person presentations, she has brought diverse leaders in the field of flourishing and resilience to share expertise on topics such as trauma-informed care, practical applications for learners, educators, and healthcare leaders, and strategies for creating resilient teams and flourishing healthcare environments. These efforts have expanded the conversation around well-being in healthcare and provided practical tools for students seeking ways to avoid future burnout.
Dr. Chesak played a central role in developing two impactful educational opportunities grounded in her scholarship. One initiative focused on a Resilience Facilitator Training Program for students, while the second has evolved into an official elective course for BSN students that equips future nurses with strategies to sustain their well-being in demanding healthcare environments. Participants in both programs learn how the brain processes emotions and how this knowledge can be applied to reduce stress, improve focus, and navigate challenges. Importantly, the program emphasizes sustainability by preparing participants to teach resilience principles to others, thereby extending its impact across communities.
Evaluation data from program participants demonstrate the program’s effectiveness,
showing improvements in resilience and a greater sense of flourishing. These outcomes highlight the real-world impact of Dr. Chesak’s work and the potential this course has to support future nurses in developing the resilience necessary to thrive in their careers while also advocating for flourishing healthcare environments.
Dr. Chesak’s work represents a powerful example of scholarship translated into practice. Her leadership, innovation, and commitment to preparing healthcare professionals to thrive have had a meaningful impact on students and colleagues. For these reasons, it is my highest recommendation that Dr. Chesak be recognized with this year’s DAISY Award for Scholarship in Practice.
Dr. Chesak’s scholarship on flourishing has transformed the way healthcare professionals and students think about caring for themselves to sustain the capacity to care for others. Through her work, she has translated research on resilience and well-being into tangible programming that supports students in building sustainable, healthy careers. She has been instrumental in leading the development of the Center for Flourishing Health Care Communities, an initiative dedicated to promoting flourishing, resilience, well-being, and leadership across healthcare education and practice.
The mission of this center is to strengthen the dynamic relationships among healthcare
students, professionals, and the healthcare ecosystem in order to cultivate cultures of
flourishing within healthcare. Dr. Chesak consistently demonstrates curiosity, openness,
innovation, and excellence through her teaching, mentorship, and collaborative leadership, demonstrating the core principles of the center.
Dr. Chesak has also successfully bridged the gap between scholarship and practice through innovative student programming. Through a series of webinars and in-person presentations, she has brought diverse leaders in the field of flourishing and resilience to share expertise on topics such as trauma-informed care, practical applications for learners, educators, and healthcare leaders, and strategies for creating resilient teams and flourishing healthcare environments. These efforts have expanded the conversation around well-being in healthcare and provided practical tools for students seeking ways to avoid future burnout.
Dr. Chesak played a central role in developing two impactful educational opportunities grounded in her scholarship. One initiative focused on a Resilience Facilitator Training Program for students, while the second has evolved into an official elective course for BSN students that equips future nurses with strategies to sustain their well-being in demanding healthcare environments. Participants in both programs learn how the brain processes emotions and how this knowledge can be applied to reduce stress, improve focus, and navigate challenges. Importantly, the program emphasizes sustainability by preparing participants to teach resilience principles to others, thereby extending its impact across communities.
Evaluation data from program participants demonstrate the program’s effectiveness,
showing improvements in resilience and a greater sense of flourishing. These outcomes highlight the real-world impact of Dr. Chesak’s work and the potential this course has to support future nurses in developing the resilience necessary to thrive in their careers while also advocating for flourishing healthcare environments.
Dr. Chesak’s work represents a powerful example of scholarship translated into practice. Her leadership, innovation, and commitment to preparing healthcare professionals to thrive have had a meaningful impact on students and colleagues. For these reasons, it is my highest recommendation that Dr. Chesak be recognized with this year’s DAISY Award for Scholarship in Practice.