Vanderbilt University Medical Center has announced the fourth quarter of 2020 recipients of the DAISY Award, a recognition for extraordinary nurses who exemplify compassion toward patients and families.
VUMC distributes 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. DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System.
Vanderbilt is one of more than 3,000 health care facilities and schools of nursing in all 50 states and 17 other countries that offer the award. VUMC nurse committees determine the individual recipients.
This round of DAISY Awards honors seven recipients, including two each from Vanderbilt University Adult Hospital and Vanderbilt Adult Ambulatory Clinics. The other three recipients represent Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital, Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital and Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.
Previous recipients of the DAISY Award are 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 recipients of this group of DAISY awards are:
Claudia Davis, MSN, RN. Unit: Adult 3, Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital.
Claudia Davis. From the nomination: “I got sick in the middle of the night. Claudia came to my aid and got me some medicine from the doctor on call. She was wonderful to me and I couldn’t have gotten through the night without her!” Photo by Erin O. Smith
Lindsay Race, BSN, RN. Unit: Labor & Delivery, Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital.
Lindsay Race. From the nomination: “Lindsay was my nurse on day shift that took care of me like my mother would as well. Any time I needed anything, she was there to help. I was crying because, after being in labor so long, I was told I was having a C-section. I understood but was extremely scared. Lindsay made me feel right at home and took me under her wing as a mother would do that day.” Photo by Susan Urmy
Maddie Cullen, BSN, RN. Unit: Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU), Vanderbilt University Adult Hospital.
Maddie Cullen. From the nomination: “My dad came to the hospital with plans for a double lung transplant but due to his other body systems failing, he’s now on a palliative care route. She (Maddie) made it possible for him and his fiancée to have a commitment ceremony in his room, complete with decorations, cupcakes, ‘champagne’ toasts, flowers, and even hand-made a veil out of streamers for his fiancée.” Photo by Erin O. Smith
Mary “Cricket” Ramsey, RN. Unit: Labor & Delivery, Vanderbilt University Adult Hospital.
Mary “Cricket” Ramsey. From the nomination: “Cricket examined the patient and found a prolapsed fetal cord. In the OB world this is a true emergency where the baby has literally minutes to be delivered via emergency C-section to prevent long term damage and possibly death. … I have been an L&D nurse at Vanderbilt for 27 years and this patient was the calmest patient I have ever witnessed in an emergency situation. I truly believe she remained calm because of the trust she had in Cricket and Cricket’s quiet, calm, reassuring words.” Photo by Erin O. Smith
Mason Dobson, LPN. Unit: Medical Infusion Clinic, Vanderbilt Adult Ambulatory Clinics.
Mason Dobson. From the nomination: “I was taking chemo and it was the second or third time I had ever been there. I was incredibly scared. … When I met Mason I immediately felt calmer. She has this way of making you feel safe. Once it was hot and my port was having trouble accessing and normally this would have scared me, but Mason had it under control.” Photo by Susan Urmy
Meredith Nolan, RN. Unit: Vanderbilt Eye Institute, Vanderbilt Adult Ambulatory Clinics.
Meredith Nolan. From the nomination: “The patient ‘stated that he had called in on Wednesday about some issue with his eye and while speaking to the nurse (Meredith), she urged him based on his symptoms to go to the emergency room. Which he had been reluctant to do. He then stated that while at the hospital they had determined he was having a stroke and how she had saved his life. He stated that he was beyond grateful for her knowledge and encouragement to go to the emergency room because he had been out mowing and wasn’t sure about the severity. If it wasn’t for her explanation he may not have taken it seriously enough to go the hospital.'” Photo by Donn Jones
Crystal Bojniewicz, RN. Unit: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.
Crystal Bojniewicz. From the nomination: “She was taking care of a patient whose mother did not speak English (spoke a dialect of Swahili) and went out of her way to help the mom through the NICU process. … She was concerned the mom wouldn’t ask for help ordering food and placed dietary communications for the entire week for this mother to get her meals. She also has coordinated with multiple interpreters to make sure this mother’s questions were answered and so she could feel supported. Crystal has gone above and beyond today and truly showed the meaning of family-centered care!” Photo by Susan Urmy
