Thomas Barringer, BSN, RN, works in the Emergency department at Vanderbilt University Hospital. He is one of the latest Vanderbilt Health DAISY Award winners.
From the nomination
“My husband is a full-time wheelchair user. We came into the emergency department (ED) with severe UTI symptoms and Thomas was one of the first nurses we came into contact with and he was absolutely lovely. His shift unfortunately ended at 7 p.m., so we figured that would be the last we saw of him. By the time we were triaged, had the test completed, and doctors gave word that he was going to be admitted, it was about 2 a.m. When Thomas arrived to work the following morning at 7 a.m. and saw we were still in the waiting room, he immediately sprang into action. My husband and I are completely understanding of long waits especially in hospitals that receive level 1 trauma cases, but we could admit that this was becoming unmanageable for my husband.
“Thomas did not leave any stone unturned on his mission to find my husband a bed. He reached out to managers, charge nurses of multiple units, coordinated with the other nurses in the ED as well as the doctors to make sure that my husband would have a bed as soon as possible. All these individuals cited they were notified of the situation by Thomas. He works in a very busy ED caring for multiple patients in a high-stress, fast-paced environment, but even so, he made time to go above and beyond. Thomas is the kind of nurse that a patient doesn’t forget. That kindness and determination made a really difficult trip to the ED feel manageable.”
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.
