The international DAISY Award recognizes the extraordinary compassion, outstanding clinical skills, and personalized care exhibited by nurses each day.
Texas Health Center for Diagnostics & Surgery (THCDS) presented their 2015 DAISY Award to Amy Brewer, RN, on May 12. Amy, who is a certified nurse in the Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU), provides excellent care to her patients, and also maintains a fun, supportive attitude among her fellow nurses.
Colleague Liza Hagenswold, RN, said, “On Fridays she does a special dance around our unit, just to keep us smiling and in a great mood. She is truly a bright light in our day, and her patients adore her.”
The story behind the award is particularly touching. The DAISY Foundation was established in 2000 by the Barnes family in memory of J. Patrick Barnes. His family was so moved by the compassion the nursing staff extended toward Patrick and their entire family, that they decided to establish a nursing award that celebrates both professional expertise and personalized care.
A seemingly unlikely partner of this award program is Cinnabon. As the foundation explains, toward the end of his life, Patrick lost his appetite and found it difficult to eat. A relative came to visit and brought a Cinnabon roll, which Patrick was able to eat and enjoy. He asked the relative to bring him another roll the next day— and to bring some for the nursing staff.
This simple gesture inspired the family to invite Cinnabon to be part of the award program.
It seems fitting that such a sweet gesture be part of this special occasion, because in the midst of expert care, nurses also extend small acts of kindness throughout their day.
Another interesting partnership is represented by the serpentine stone sculptures hand carved by artists of the Shona Tribe in Zimbabwe. In addition to the Healer’s Touch sculptures that the nurse honorees receive, DAISY hospitals and partners can also purchase a large sculpture for display.
The purchase of these sculptures support artists and families in the politically and economically unstable country of Zimbabwe. The international DAISY award recognizes a universal truth identified by the Dalai Lama: “If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.”
