CULLMAN, Ala. – Nurses at Cullman Regional are now 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 first DAISY Award recipient at Cullman Regional is Samantha Burns, RN, 3-West.
Burns’ nomination was submitted by the mother of a pediatric patient at Cullman Regional.
The nomination stated, “My son was seen in the ER and admitted to the pediatric unit in the early morning hours. Samantha came on as the day shift nurse and she was amazing from the moment she walked into my son’s room.” The nomination continued to explain how she talked to her son about relatable cartoons and superheroes and treated him like a pal making the entire hospital stay less scary and made special trips for meals and beverages for both the parent and child during their stay just to make them more comfortable. The nomination stated Burns is the epitome of what a nurse should be. “Thank you for loving my baby like you would your own while caring for him.”
Cullman Regional is so proud of Burns for the outstanding care and compassion she provides to patients and their families daily.
“The DAISY award is a special way that staff, patients or family members can recognize the efforts of Cullman Regional nurses who are doing an amazing job each day,” Cullman Regional Chief Nursing Officer Charna Brown, BSN, RN said.
To nominate a nurse or learn more about the DAISY Award, visit www.CullmanRegional.com/daisy.
The DAISY Foundation is a nonprofit 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 autoimmune 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 Cullman Regional 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.
Said Bonnie Barnes, FAAN, president and co-founder of The DAISY Foundation, “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 Cullman Regional are called on to do every day epitomizes the purpose of The DAISY Award.”
Cullman Regional’s Brown continued, “We are proud to be among the healthcare organizations participating in The DAISY Award program. Nurses are heroes every day. It’s important that our nurses know their work is highly valued, and The DAISY Foundation provides a way for us to do that.”
In addition to the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses, the Foundation expresses gratitude to the nursing profession internationally in over 3,900 healthcare facilities and schools of nursing with recognition of direct care nurses, nurse-led teams, nurse leaders, nursing faculty, nursing students, through the J. Patrick Barnes Grants for Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice Projects and for nurses participating in medical missions. More information is available at http://DAISYfoundation.org.
