Daisy Award Winners—Recognizing Extraordinary Nurses

DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System. The DAISY Award was established by the DAISY Foundation in memory of J. Patrick Barnes who died at 33 of ITP, an auto-immune disease. The Barnes Family was awestruck by the clinical skills, caring and compassion of the nurses who cared for Patrick, so they created this national award to say thank you to nurses everywhere.

Anyone can nominate a nurse for the DAISY Award. The DAISY Award committee selects one nurse who exemplifies the following characteristics each month:

• Established a special connection with a patient/family
• Has significantly made a difference in the life of a patient
• Shows empathy in all situations
• Is an outstanding role model for the nursing profession
• Generates enthusiasm and energy towards meeting the challenges of nursing
• Consistently exhibits excellent interpersonal skills
• Exemplifies the essence of professional nursing in all activities

Each month’s winner receives a nominee pin, a DAISY Award recipient pin, a Healer’s Touch hand carved statue and an award certificate. In addition, the selected nurse’s unit receives a banner to post for the month and freshly baked cinnamon rolls for everyone on the day the award is presented.

GMC Recipients of the DAISY Award

December
 

Kelly Scoggins, WOCN, RN, Wound Treatment Center, was nominated because she consistently shows care and compassion to all of the patients in the Wound Treatment Center and on the nursing units she serves. Kelly is the ultimate nurse! She is an excellent mentor and preceptor with our staff nurses on the units. We feel so very fortunate to have Kelly as part of our team.
 

November
Young Paik, RN, Glancy Rehabilitation Center, was nominated for a number of reasons. In addition to a smiling, caring face and gentle manner, this country is a new home for her and that meant learning a new language. One evening, this she was magnificent in approaching an erratic patient. With a calm, non-threatening manner, she comforted the patient. This nurse was the only one who could get near the patient until help arrive.

October
Sara Sanders, RN, Surgical Services, GMC-Lawrenceville, was nominated for the Daisy Award by a colleague, who wrote, “This nurse gives so much to every patient. I’ve seen this nurse urge a young mother of 5 to push herself to walk up and down the halls day after day….I watched this nurse take restraints off an agitated elderly patient and sit with her arms around the patient until the patient fell asleep…. This nurse was with the patient every step of the way.”

September
Tom Michel, RN-ICU, GMC-Lawrenceville, was nominated for the Daisy Award by a colleague, who wrote, “Tom is such a kind individual. Helpful to others, dignified. He is an awesome example of ‘The Total Nurse’ – kind, compassionate, humble.”

August

Molly Horman, staff nurse, NICU, was nominated for the Daisy Award by a colleague who noted all her hard work and dedication. She gives her all, every day for our patients and families in the NICU.

July
Gayle Hayes, nurse clinician, surgical interview, was the first winner of GMC’s monthly DAISY Award.