Megan Wambold, BSN, RN, works in the Transitional Care unit at Vanderbilt University Hospital. She is one of the latest Vanderbilt Health DAISY Award winners.
From the nomination
“Recently, my 81-year-old mother was admitted to Vanderbilt Hospital and taken to the Transitional Care Unit. She has several doctors at Vanderbilt, and all have been nothing short of amazing, however after spending weeks in hospitals for over a year, the last thing we wanted was another hospital stay. Once we arrived and were placed in the unit, my opinion immediately changed. I have seen the good (sometimes very good), the bad and the very ugly when it comes to medical care. I have yet to see and experience the extraordinary, until now. Being in a hospital is not easy. A smile and kind word goes a very long way. It’s comfort food for the soul.
“From the second we arrived, Megan met us with a loving and kind smile and reassured us that we would be taken good care of. Once my mother was settled, Megan and the rest of the team went to work. I have never seen this level of compassion combined with a dedication to go above and beyond for the patient. What I experienced firsthand was truly inspiring!
“I never saw her stop and when she was providing other patients with the same level of care, someone else jumped in to assist immediately due to her incredible ability to communicate. It felt like my mother was the only patient in the unit. My mother was exhausted and afraid of what was to come. She told me later that Megan comforted her and made her feel like everything was going to be OK. Megan is a true leader. If other hospitals want to learn how to effectively take care of patients’ physical needs while also making them feel like they are the most important patient in the world, they should send their teams to the Transitional Care Unit for training. I am very grateful for the care we received from Megan and her team!”
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.
