Nicole Meador, RN, works in the Emergency Department at Vanderbilt Bedford Hospital. She is one of the latest Vanderbilt Health DAISY Award winners.
From multiple nominations
“A patient was seen at Vanderbit Bedford Hospital ED and was then flown to VUMC via LifeFlight. The patient’s wife was visibly upset and in no condition to drive. Nicole sat with her and showed such compassion and kindness while waiting for someone to pick her up and drive her to Nashville. Nicole was encouraging and comforting, assuring the patient’s wife that her husband would receive great care. She described nurse Nicole as “an angel” and stated that if there is an award for being a wonderful nurse, nurse Nicole should get it. She had never experienced this level of compassion from a health care professional before and has been around the health care world a lot throughout her life and never met anyone quite like nurse Nicole. Nurse Nicole treated her like they were old friends or sisters, even though they had never met before. She said that the visit could not have been better. Her husband is now home and doing great!”
“Nicole was there when my mother made her last trip to the ER. She was amazing. She prayed with us and for us. I can’t sing enough praise for her. God just meant for her to be a part of this journey for some reason, and she rocked it. If we hadn’t had her at the ER visit when we got the initial diagnosis, I am not sure what I would have done. She went out of her way to make us comfortable and used factual information to explain everything. I know that all ER nurses are special, but Nicole is a really good one. She has made a difference in our lives.”
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.
