Madison Sowers, LPN, works in the Medical/Surgical/Telemetry unit at Vanderbilt Tullahoma-Harton Hospital. She is one of the latest Vanderbilt Health DAISY Award winners.
From the nomination
“I came into the hospital, very scared and worried about what was going on. Sunday, when Madison came in for the first time, she asked me how I was. She didn’t talk much, but by the time her shift ended, she was talking a lot more. When Monday morning came, she came into my room and after a long night, the first thing she said was, ‘Good morning, how are you?’ with a big smile on her face; knowing the night had been so long it brightened my whole day. As the day went on, she came to check on me and we started making little jokes with each other and laughing. She was a kind face to see in a time when I was so worried. When I rang for a nurse all that day, she always came with a smile. I would tell her when she gave me meds that she was being little Ms. Bossy Pants, and she would laugh and say, ‘No more than you.’ She would take that extra minute she didn’t have to, to make my day brighter. Madison had become a person I enjoyed walking into my room. I got a shot in my belly, and she said it’s just a little needle it won’t hurt and as she was doing it, I made out like it was killing me just so we could laugh. No one wants to be in a hospital, but when you have a nurse that goes above their job to make you feel more at home than sick it makes all the difference. I told her that I hope I see her again outside of here because she is an awesome person, and she told me she enjoyed having me as a patient. Sometimes in life it can be a simple smile or joke in someone’s struggles, and you don’t see that it can change someone’s whole day. It was my privilege to be a patient under her and I thank you for having nurses like Madison in this hospital.”
About DAISY Awards
The DAISY Award is a recognition for extraordinary nurses who exemplify compassion toward patients and families.
Vanderbilt Health 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 to preserve his memory. DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System.
Vanderbilt Health nurse committees determine the individual recipients. 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 for DAISY Awards may be made here.
