Vanderbilt University Medical Center has announced the second quarter of 2019 recipients of the DAISY Award, a new recognition for extraordinary nurses who exemplify compassion toward patients and families.
VUMC is distributing the award in partnership with The DAISY Foundation, which was formed in 1999 to honor the memory of J. Patrick Barnes, a 33-year-old man who died of complications of the autoimmune disease Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP). Barnes’ family was moved by the care they received from his nurses and wanted to recognize them as a way to preserve his memory. Therefore, DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System.
In offering the award, Vanderbilt joins more than 3,000 health care facilities and schools of nursing in all 50 states and 17 other countries. VUMC nurse committees determine the individual recipients.
This is the Medical Center’s third round of DAISY Awards, which honor three recipients — one each from Vanderbilt University Adult Hospital, Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt and The Vanderbilt Clinics. Previous winners of the DAISY award are here and here. The award is open to all licensed nurses and anyone can nominate — including co-workers, patients and their families. Nominations may be made here.
The awards are made quarterly, except for Vanderbilt Behavioral Health, which gives its award twice a year. Recipients will be honored with a certificate, badge pin and a sculpture made in Zimbabwe called “A Healer’s Touch.”
The winners of this group of DAISY awards are:
Donna Atherton, RN, from the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Clinic of Vanderbilt Adult Clinics.
Donna Atherton. From the nomination: “I first met Donna Atherton on Feb. 14, 2018, when I drove from Florida after six months of numerous doctor visits; where the Florida doctors could not determine what was wrong with me. I was hurting, scared and frustrated when Donna walked in the examination room and saw how upset I was. She took time, sat down with me, calmed me down and explained in detail what to expect with the numerous tests that I was about to endure at Vanderbilt Medical Center. … I could not have made it through my miraculous journey without the loving care and thoughtfulness of Donna Atherton, the nurse who has become my partner for life! I believe Donna is beyond deserving of the DAISY award for her care, attention and love she has shown me throughout my journey from diagnosis to healing.” Photo by Susan Urmy
Mary Hannah Baker, BSN, RN, of Pediatric Cardiology at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.
Emily Burton, BSN, RN, of the Adult 2 unit at Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital.
Rachel Henson, BSN, RN, of the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit of Vanderbilt University Adult Hospital.
