Pediatric nurse Annie Nudas has been honored with MMC’s DAISY Award. Gathering with Annie and holding the signed DAISY Award banner are team members from the Pediatric Unit and Nursing Leadership.
Long Branch, NJ, March 2, 2026 — Pediatric nurse Annie Nudas, BSN, RN, CPN, who was praised by parents of two young patients for showing the real meaning of nursing, has been honored with Monmouth Medical Center’s DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses, endorsed by The DAISY Foundation.
Annie, a Pediatric nurse at MMC for 20 years, was nominated for the DAISY Award by families of two patients, who shared:
“During my sons five-and-a-half-day PICU stay all of nurses where great, but Annie went above and beyond. Even when my son wasn’t being the nicest little boy she truly understood and continued to treat him like an angel. Even when it came down to me, she would let me sneak away, knowing I needed a moment and if she needed me, she simply would just give me a call. She understands and shows the real meaning of nursing.”
“My daughter was so scared when she was admitted. As a parent, there is nothing worse than watching your child not feel well and not being able to fix it. From the very first day, Annie treated her like she was her own. She didn’t just come in to do her job and leave. She sat with her. She talked to her. She explained things in a way my daughter could understand instead of just talking to the adults in the room. There was one time when my daughter was really uncomfortable and anxious. Annie stayed longer than she had to, helping calm her down and making sure she felt safe. She adjusted her pillows, checked on her often, and even found little ways to make her smile. It may have seemed small, but to us it meant everything. As parents, we noticed how attentive she was. She didn’t rush. She listened. She answered our questions without making us feel like we were bothering her. She made a very stressful situation feel manageable. You can tell when someone truly cares, and she does. She brought compassion, patience, and kindness into our daughter’s hospital stay, and that is something we will never forget. We are so grateful for her and believe she represents what nursing is supposed to be about. Thank you for considering her for this award. She deserves it more than we can put into words.”
During the award ceremony held February 18th on the Pediatric Unit, Annie’s Director of Patient Care Debra Petersen, MS, APRN, NEA-BC said that perhaps her most genuine quality is that of showing concern and empathy for the well-being of her patients and their families. She has also role modeled for new staff and has supported them with her preceptor skills. “It’s without reservation that Annie be publicly acknowledged and thanked for all her outstanding years of kind service, stepping up to be our unit safety coach and her untiring commitment to her patients, families, and colleagues,” she said.
DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System. The DAISY Foundation was formed by the family of Patrick Barnes who died at age 33 of complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), an auto-immune disease. His widow, Tena, (a DAISY Co-founder) created the acronym, and the Foundation and established the DAISY Recognition Program to honor the super-human work nurses do every day at the bedside.
Contact: Kathy Horan
(732) 546-6317
Kathy.Horan@rwjbh.org