Samantha Murphy, RN, works in the Medical Intensive Care unit at Vanderbilt University Hospital. She is one of the latest Vanderbilt Health DAISY Award winners.
From the nomination
“I had the privilege to see Sam provide the most compassionate and empathetic nursing care I have ever witnessed in my entire career. We had a patient receiving end-of-life care, his situation was very disheartening as he was not very responsive, and his wife was unable to visit due to her own health and distance to get to Vanderbilt.
“Sam took it upon herself to call the wife, introduce herself as the patient’s nurse and gave her direct number to call throughout the day whenever she wanted an update. Sam then continued and asked about the patient’s favorite music and his general interests, etc. Despite having other patients, Sam spent all her spare time over the next two days in the patient’s room, dressed in contact isolation, playing his favorite music and chatting with him. She spent extra time cleaning and caring for him and when other tasks required her to leave, she would see if someone could stay with him to make sure, if he did pass, he would not be alone.
“The wife called, crying, and stated she was having a hard afternoon. Sam took time to ask her to share memories of how she and the patient met, which brought significant comfort to his wife despite the situation. Sam also held the phone so she could speak to her husband, even though he was not able to respond. Sam continuously assured the wife of the patient’s comfort, making sure he was warm and providing her with updates.
“The patient was able to be transferred to a facility where his wife could visit. When Sam told the patient he would be able to see his wife, he began to cry. This story is a prime example of going above and beyond and the impact it can have on patients, families and the staff that surround us.
“Thank you to Sam, for upholding the highest level of nursing care and bringing happiness and peace in the darkest of times.”
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.
