Nurses at Peninsula Regional Medical Center are being honored with the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses, a national program to recognize the outstanding efforts of nurses in their daily work.
The award recipient for May is Michele McIntosh, RN. Her nomination, written by a patient’s family member, described how she monitored a potentially dangerous clinical situation while showing compassion for the patient and family by maintaining a calm, soothing manner. She stayed with the patient until long after her night shift was over.
“I have no idea what time she finally got out of there that morning, but at no time did she ever make us feel that she wanted to be anywhere other than where she was —with us,” the nominator wrote of McIntosh. “Her demeanor and efficiency made a very difficult situation better.”
Every month, a nurse will be selected by Peninsula Regional’s nursing administration to receive the DAISY Award. At a presentation given in front of the nurse’s colleagues, physicians, patients and visitors, the honoree will receive a certificate commending her or him for being an “Extraordinary Nurse.” The certificate reads: “In deep appreciation of all you do, who you are, and the incredibly meaningful difference you make in the lives of so many people.” The honoree will also be given a sculpture called A Healer’s Touch, hand-carved by artists of the Shona Tribe in Zimbabwe. To nominate a nurse, visit www.peninsula.org/DaisyAward.
“We are proud to be among the hospitals participating in the DAISY Award program. Nurses are heroes every day,” said PRMC Chief Nursing Officer Mary Beth D’Amico. “It’s important that our nurses know their work is highly valued.”
The not-for-profit DAISY Foundation is based in Glen Ellen, CA, and was established by family members in memory of J. Patrick Barnes. Patrick died at the age of 33 in late 1999 from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), a little-known but not uncommon auto-immune disease. The care Patrick and his family received from nurses while he was ill inspired this unique means of thanking nurses for making a profound difference in the lives of their patients and patient families.
President and Co-Founder of The DAISY Foundation Bonnie Barnes said, “When Patrick was critically ill, our family experienced first-hand the remarkable skill and care nurses provide patients every day and night. Yet these unsung heroes are seldom recognized for the super-human work they do. The kind of work the nurses at PRMC are called on to do every day epitomizes the purpose of The DAISY Award.”
Michele McIntosh, RN, was honored with the DAISY Award at PRMC.
