The Daisy Award for nurses lets patients, families and colleagues offer praise and thanks.
For a sense of how important nurses are to health care, just listen to what patients and families say.
“She has made me feel so comfortable while I have been here,” says a patient. “She provided not only my father with the best care but me as well,” says a family member. “[She] deserves this honor because of the impact she has had in helping the underserved population of the area identify cancer,” says another care receiver.
These are just a few examples of praise for RWJBarnabas Health (RWJBH) nurses who are among the most recent recipients of The DAISY Award, bestowed by The DAISY Foundation based on nominations from patients, families and colleagues.
Each year, nurses in all types of health care settings across the country, around the world and throughout the RWJBH system are honored with DAISY Awards to recognize their care, compassion, skill and contributions that made a difference to a patient, their family or a coworker.
“Nurses often take for granted the work they do, but their efforts are extraordinary, and that’s what DAISY represents,” says Kathy Easter, MSN, RN, CCRN-K, Assistant Vice President, Nursing Excellence, RWJBH. “The award represents caring and placing patients and families at the center of what we do.”
Excellence and Inspiration
The DAISY Award was started by the family of a Seattle man named Patrick Barnes who died of an autoimmune disease in 1999. During his illness, the family experienced the best of nursing.
Out of appreciation for nurses’ kindness, compassion and sensitivity, the family founded the nonprofit DAISY Foundation (the acronym stands for Diseases Attacking the Immune System) to honor Patrick and thank nurses. The DAISY Award has since been adopted by thousands of health care organizations and nursing schools.
Award presentations are held at different times of the year across the health system at every hospital, and often gather hospital colleagues, along with hospital and executive leadership, for a recognition ceremony that in many cases surprises the recipient.
“The award recognizes that we not only care for patients and families but for each other,” says Nancy Holocek, MAS, MHA, BSN, RN, FNAP, Executive Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer, RWJBH. “It’s about kindness, which reflects the culture and values of our health system, and inspires our nurses.”
Nurses who receive the award feel honored—and often moved. “It is personal for that nurse, and pretty emotional,” Easter says. “It’s very celebratory and special because it is a personal recognition about the nurse and nursing practice that comes from the heart.”
Acclaiming Nurses
Below are comments describing just a few of the many RWJBarnabas Health nurses nominated for DAISY Awards.
Maryse Annulysse, MSN, RN, CCRN
RWJBarnabas Health School of Nursing
“Her compassion and caring are genuine. This is the way we want to see our students practicing as nurses.”
Zakiyah Rawlins, RN
Jersey City Medical Center
“From the moment we arrived on the unit, we felt at ease because of the excellent care that Zakiyah had given to us.”
Dustin Bullock, RN
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton
“Dustin respected me and put me at ease.”
Lori Prussack, RN
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
“When they say, ‘Treat the patients as if they were your own family members,’ she truly embodies that.”
To learn more about The DAISY Award or to nominate a nurse at RWJBarnabas Health, visit Daisy Awards.
View full issues of Healthy Together magazine by New Jersey region:Northeast, serving the community of Jersey City Medical Center in Jersey City
Northwest, serving the communities of Clara Maass Medical Center in Belleville, Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in Newark, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in Rahway, and Trinitas Regional Medical Center in Elizabeth
Central, serving the communities of Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in Hamilton, New Brunswick and Somerset
South, serving the communities of Community Medical Center in Toms River, Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch, and Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus in Lakewood