Shana Parks, RN, works in the Colorectal Surgery Clinic and she is one of the latest group of DAISY Award winners at VUMC.
From the nomination
“Shana received a triage call about a patient reporting high ileostomy output and he needed help. In her thorough triage and assessment, the nurse was able to determine the patient was not dehydrated, but possibly had high ostomy output and did have some medication changes that potentially needed to be made. …The nurse thought creatively and saw the patient did have an ER close to him, but his clinical picture was not emergent. Instead, she called the local ER and asked to speak to a charge nurse. She explained the situation to the charge nurse and asked if they had a disposable handheld urinal they could give to the patient, and she could then teach him how to measure output from the ileostomy. … This represents not just the kindness but the creativity and relentless pursuit of excellent patient care from our Vanderbilt nurses!”
About DAISY Awards
The DAISY Award is a recognition for extraordinary nurses who exemplify compassion toward patients and families.
VUMC 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.
VUMC 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 may be made here.
