Extraordinary Nurses to Be Recognized at NVRH

Nurses at Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital can now be 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 nurses provide patients and families every day.

The DAISY Foundation (DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System) 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 1999 from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), a little known but not uncommon auto-immune disease. The care Patrick and his family received from nurses inspired this unique means of thanking nurses for making a profound difference in the lives of their patients and patient families.

“When Patrick was critically ill, our family experienced first-hand the remarkable skill and care nurses provide patients every day and night,” FAAN, President and Co-Founder of The DAISY Foundation Bonnie Barnes said. “Yet these unsung heroes are seldom recognized for the super-human, extraordinary, compassionate work they do. The kind of work the nurses at NVRH are called on to do every day epitomizes the purpose of The DAISY Award.”

Nurses may be nominated by patients, families and colleagues. The Nursing Shared Governance Council at NVRH will then review nominations and honorees will be selected based on criteria developed by nursing staff. Any licensed nursing staff, including LNAs, can be nominated.

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. Honorees also receive a DAISY Award pin and a sculpture called A Healer’s Touch, which is hand-carved by artists of the Shona Tribe in Zimbabwe.

“These awards are a way to recognize nurses throughout NVRH for their caring and compassionate work,” NVRH CNO Julie Schneckenburger said. “Nurses are an integral part of the outstanding care our patients receive every day here at NVRH and this gives our patients and their families an opportunity to share their thoughts about a specific nurse or group of nurses that have given exceptional care to a loved one. This is also a formal way for staff to nominate a nurse for exceptional care they have seen provided to patients that may go unrecognized otherwise.”

This is one initiative of The DAISY Foundation to express gratitude to the nursing profession. Additionally, DAISY offers J. Patrick Barnes Grants for Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice Projects, The DAISY Faculty Award to honor inspiring faculty members in schools and colleges of nursing, and The DAISY in Training Award for nursing students. More information is available at http://DAISYfoundation.org.

DAISY Award Nominations can be made electronically at www.daisynomination.org/NVRH or by completing and submitting a nomination form found in patient waiting areas around the hospital and at the NVRH medical practices.