Emergency Department RN receives DAISY Award

Bothwell Regional Health Center recently presented its latest DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses.

The DAISY Award is for patients and their families to nominate nurses who give outstanding, compassionate and skillful care. Sarah, a Registered Nurse in the Emergency Department, was nominated by patient Kim Jones.

“When you are feeling sick enough to go to the emergency room, you are already a hot mess, and the day I went to the ER I couldn’t breathe,” Jones said. “Sarah was the first to come into my room and start a barrage of tests to find out why. She was calming, efficient and funny at the same time.”

Sarah has been a nurse for 18 years and has provided care in the Emergency Department at Bothwell for nine years. This is the second time she has been recognized with the DAISY Award.

“I pursued nursing because I wanted the opportunity to help and serve others, and I do, each and every day,” she said. “I recall the day Kim was in the ED. It was a busy day with many critically ill patients. She was so pleasant even though she wasn’t feeling well, and she continued to show me patience and kindness even though I was being pulled in every direction. It was my pleasure to take care of her, and her grace and mercy did not go unnoticed. It is people like her who make this job fulfilling.”

Megan Elwood, Bothwell Nursing Education RN, presented Sarah with a certificate congratulating her for being an “Extraordinary Nurse.” She also received a box of cinnamon rolls, a daisy bouquet, a DAISY Award pin and a sculpture called “A Healer’s Touch,” hand-carved by artists of the Shona Tribe in Africa. A DAISY Award banner recognizing her will hang in the unit and Sarah’s name will appear on the DAISY Foundation website.

“Sarah carries with her a calming presence and incredible sense of humor,” Elwood said. “Her knowledge and skills paired with her phenomenal patient care make the Emergency Department a better place. We are fortunate to have someone like Sarah caring for people in our community.”

Sarah has made it her mission to exhibit DAISY Award qualities to each of her patients, regardless of their health needs.

“The DAISY award means everything to me,” she said. “I want to be a ‘daisy’ to each and every one of my patients. I want them to feel like they are my only patient and that not only their medical needs are met but their psychosocial needs are met, too.”

Jones said Sarah was a source of joy for her on a hard day.

“Sarah made me laugh, regardless of how bad I felt,” she said. “I was sent home that evening and on my discharge instructions from her, she said ‘thank you.’ I was shocked. She made me feel better and provided a calming peace. She gave me a hug, and it meant the world to me.”

The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses was started in 1999 in Glen Ellen, California, by members of the family of Patrick Barnes, who died at the age of 33 of complications from an autoimmune disease. The care his nurses provided was the inspiration for the DAISY (Diseases Attacking the Immune System) Award.

An international award, the DAISY is awarded in more than 6,000 health care facilities and schools of nursing around the world, including 39 countries and territories. Bothwell Regional Health Center has recognized 16 nurses with the Daisy Award since it first began accepting nominations in 2018.

To learn more or to submit a nomination, visit brhc.org/daisy.