Presented at the Augustana University Nursing Pinning Ceremony this past May, Augustana alumna and former assistant professor of nursing Muriel Larson ‘89 was honored as the recipient of the Daisy Award for Lifetime Achievement for her contributions in the field of nursing.
“I was truly blown out of the water and so incredibly honored,” said Larson, when asked about receiving the award. “I think everybody wants to have their work affirmed. When you get to the autumn of your life, you want to have it count for something. If I look back at it, my faith informs me on a lot of levels, and I feel that this was meant to be. I'm very grateful to God and to those who made any of this possible.”
Larson’s career spans nearly 50 years. She earned a diploma in nursing (RN) in 1964 from St. Luke’s Hospital School of Nursing in Duluth, Minnesota, followed by a Bachelor of Science in nursing (BSN) in 1989 from Augustana, as well as two Master of Arts (MA) degrees in ethics and nursing in 1999 and 2000, respectively.
Larson’s journey at Augustana began as a nontraditional student and faculty spouse, when her husband began working at the college in 1970.
“I came as a faculty wife, having just had our second child, and I thought that might be what I would be doing for the rest of my life — raising children and being at home. I had no plans to teach. I always say that God had good plans for my life because I had no idea I would begin a life of teaching,” Larson said.
Larson was a surgical nurse for eight years in Carbondale, Illinois, and Vermillion, South Dakota, before teaching at the University of South Dakota (USD) for more than 20 years. In 1995, while at USD, Larson went on her first trip to Greece with Professor of Philosophy, Religion & Classics Dr. Fritz Rusch, who was leading a study abroad course at Augustana. As part of independent studies, she accompanied Rusch and his students again in 1998 and 1999.
“I had always been drawn to Greece because of what I liked — health, history, culture — it was all right there,” said Larson. “I knew I wanted to go back to Greece as often as possible.”
In 2001, Larson began teaching at Augustana. Shortly thereafter, in 2004, she founded the Greek Connection — an interdisciplinary program in which nursing students visit Greece to learn about health history and transcultural nursing. Since then, she has led more than 300 students and adults on study abroad courses.
“I am so grateful to Augustana for giving me this opportunity. There are so many people who are part of the Greek Connection, but I must credit former professor Dr. Fritz Rusch, who encouraged me to reach my dream of exploring Greece. If there was one person who gave me the green light to go for it, it would have been Dr. Rusch,” Larson shared. “I think the students who went loved it. It felt a bit like a January vacation, but they had to produce some pretty rigorous work.”
Larson officially retired in 2023, but the program and her legacy live on. Expressed by her colleagues, the program was cited as one of the contributing factors to having received the Daisy Award.
“(Augustana) has been the core of my adult life. This place and the opportunity to teach nursing is where it all began. I had this wonderful place where I could both go to school and then, eventually, teach here. I knew I loved working with people who were in need of support and encouragement, and learning how to be nurses, just like I was,” said Larson. “Professor Emerita of Nursing Dr. Joyce Nelson once said you never do anything alone. If I could give a message to anybody, it would be the value of working together with colleagues who have the same vision, energy and interest. I owe a great deal to a great number of people here and in Greece.”
In addition, Larson led summer internship experiences for nursing students in collaboration with Avera McKennan for 10 years, served on the South Dakota Board of Nursing (SDBON) for seven years and Ethics Committee Board at Avera McKennan for 25 years. Larson also assisted in the development of the Surgical Technician Program at Southeast Area Vocational Technical School (SEAVTS) in 1977 — a program that is still active today.
In 2005, Larson also earned the coveted award in transcultural nursing — the Leininger Breakthrough Award in Transcultural Nursing — presented by Dr. Madeleine Leininger to honor innovative leaders and trailblazers in the field.
“It's just such a gift that we have at this university and many others,” she said. “ I just never dreamed that it would be part of my life like it's been.”
For more information about the Augustana Nursing Program, visit augie.edu/nursing.