Nurses at Coffee Regional Medical Center (CRMC) are being honored with The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses ®. The award is part of the DAISY Foundation’s mission to recognize the extraordinary, compassionate nursing care they provide patients and families every day.
The DAISY Award recipients for third and fourth quarter 2017 are Reagan Stevens, RN – Swat/NFP and Danielle Sumner, RN – Peds. The nominations detail the nurses’ actions that prompted the employee or patient to propose these nurses for recognition. Stevens was nominated three times in third and fourth quarter 2017. She was nominated by two employees, the first of whom said, “On Sunday, a day shift nurse got a call that hospice was calling in the family for her critically ill grandmother. She needed to leave to be with her family. Staffing was very slim at the hospital. Reagan agreed to drop what she was doing and came in to cover for this nurse. The nurse was able to be with her family and grandmother in the last hours. Thank you Reagan for stepping up for your teammate in her time of need.” The second employee shared, “I want to nominate Reagan for the Daisy Award because every single time she’s charged on my shift she has been excellent. Reagan is smart, team-oriented, and dedicated to taking care of every patient. When she charges, she is always making sure that the nurses are okay and frequently asks if we need her help with anything. She helps tremendously with patient admissions. She truly deserves this award.” The third nomination for Stevens was by a patient who said, “Excellent care. Very satisfied with all staff.”
Sumner was recognized for her first nomination. This was a patient’s praise that read, “I have been hospitalized several times since becoming disabled. Danielle has by far been the most compassionate and caring nurse that I have had the pleasure of taking excellent care of me. She is attentive and listens to the patient. She has treated me with dignity and respect. With every need I have had she has responded with kindness, compassion and has done it in a very timely manner. You are very lucky to have her as a member of your staff. She has went above and beyond to make sure I as a patient felt as comfortable and respected as possible. She is the definition of an extraordinary nurse. God bless her.”
The DAISY Foundation is a not-for-profit organization, established in memory of J. Patrick Barnes, by members of his family. Patrick died at the age of 33 in late 1999 from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), a little known but not uncommon auto-immune disease. (DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System.) The care Patrick and his family received from nurses while he was ill inspired this unique means of thanking nurses for making a profound difference in the lives of their patients and patient families.
Nurses may be nominated by patients, families, and colleagues. The award recipient is chosen by a committee at CRMC to receive The DAISY Award. Awards are presented throughout the year at celebrations attended by the honoree’s colleagues, patients, and visitors. Each honoree receives a certificate commending her or him as an “Extraordinary Nurse.” The certificate reads: “In deep appreciation of all you do, who you are, and the incredibly meaningful difference you make in the lives of so many people.” Honorees also receive a DAISY Award pin and a beautiful and meaningful sculpture called A Healer’s Touch, hand-carved by artists of the Shona Tribe in Zimbabwe.
Bonnie Barnes, FAAN, President and Co-Founder of The DAISY Foundation, said “When Patrick was critically ill, our family experienced first-hand the remarkable skill and care nurses provide patients every day and night. Yet these unsung heroes are seldom recognized for the super-human, extraordinary, compassionate work they do. The kind of work the nurses at [hospital] are called on to do every day epitomizes the purpose of The DAISY Award.”
CRMC Vice President Sherry Thomas commented, “We are proud to be among the healthcare organizations participating in The DAISY Award program. Nurses are heroes every day here at CRMC. It’s important that our nurses know their work is highly valued, and The DAISY Foundation provides a way for us to do that.” Coffee Regional Medical Center would like to thank each nurse on staff who goes above and beyond showing compassion and attention to ensure patients are given the best care possible.