Katie Jordan, BSN, RN, works in the Pediatric Emergency Department at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. She is one of the latest Vanderbilt Health DAISY Award winners.
From the nomination
“We arrived at the ER with our 7-year-old. She had experienced a sudden onset of symptoms including severe nausea, vomiting, high fever, fatigue, chills, and cough. She could not keep even one ML of Tylenol down, so it became apparent we would need an IV for Zofran and fluids. Our nurse, Katie J., talked our daughter through each step of the IV process in the most masterful way. She described the special ‘blue lines’ (veins) that give us a new way to get medicine, the ‘Elsa spray’ (numbing spray) that made everything cold, and the special cast that she could decorate with stickers. She said that ‘big girls’ graduate to needing the special ‘blue tube’ (rather than the yellow tube for babies). By the end of her description, our daughter seemed genuinely excited to get the IV rather than afraid of it.
“I was dumbfounded. I have never seen a more beautiful job of communicating with a child in a language that resonated with her. Our daughter was afraid, weak, and in pain, and Katie not only delivered the care she needed but also eased her through her excellent communication skills. She didn’t try to hide the truth or avoid difficult parts of the process. Instead, she provided an honest, step-by-step description of what would happen, using language that made sense to my first grader. I am a professor, and I talk to my students about the importance of always communicating with your audience in mind. I wish all my students could have watched Katie J. and her expertise in this skill. My family and I are incredibly thankful for Katie J., as well as others who helped get our daughter feeling better. She is doing better now thanks to your wonderful team. We thank you so much and hope you all know how much we appreciate your help during our time of need.”
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.
