Southcoast Health honors extraordinary nurses who provides exemplary inpatient care
If you have questions about nominating a nurse for the DAISY Award, please email us at DaisyAward@southcoast.org.
About the program
In partnership with The DAISY Foundation, Southcoast Health recognizes and honors extraordinary nurses who provide compassionate inpatient care in our three hospitals.
The DAISY Foundation, a not-for-profit international organization, 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 Barnes Family was awestruck by the clinical skills, caring and compassion of the nurses who cared for Patrick, so they created this award to say thank you to nurses who make a profound difference in the lives of their patients and patient families.
More than 4,000 healthcare facilities across the continuum of care and nursing schools in all 50 states and more than 20 countries participate in The DAISY Awards. DAISY stands for Diseases Attacking the Immune SYstem.
Chief Nursing Officer, Jackie Somerville, RN, PhD, says, “We are proud to be among the healthcare organizations participating in The DAISY Award program. Nurses are heroes every day. It’s important that our nurses know their work is highly valued, and The DAISY Foundation provides a way for us to do that.”
DAISY Award FAQs
Question: How did the idea for participating in The DAISY Award originate and why is this award important to Southcoast Health?
Answer: Patients and families often rave about the nurses who care for them while hospitalized and about the impact of their positive connections with nurses. Southcoast bestows nursing awards each May during Nurses Week. The DAISY Awards, however, provide an opportunity to recognize extraordinary nurses throughout the year. The award recognizes skillful care in addition to compassionate care, acknowledging that nursing is both an art and a science, and is an inspiration to other nurses.
Question: Who is eligible to receive The DAISY Award?
Answer: Nurses at Southcoast’s three hospitals are eligible to be nominated and to receive The DAISY Award. This includes RNs, LPNs and APNs. In the future, we will extend eligibility to nurses throughout all of Southcoast Health.
Each year, 24 nurses in total are selected to receive The DAISY Award – 10 from Charlton Memorial Hospital, 10 from St. Luke’s Hospital, and 4 from Tobey Hospital. The number of awards is based on the size of the hospital. Awards at Charlton Memorial and St. Luke’s are given monthly, except for May when we celebrate Nurses Week and give out our annual Nursing Awards, and December when we celebrate Employee of the Year. Awards at Tobey are given once each quarter. A nurse may receive the award once per year.
Question: How are nurses nominated and by whom?
Answer: Nominations for The DAISY Award may be submitted by patients, families, co-workers, physicians or other Southcoast staff. Paper nomination forms are available with directions on how to submit the form. An online nomination form is also be available at www.daisynomination.org/southcoasthealth.
Question: How are DAISY Award recipients selected?
Answer: Award recipients are chosen by a seven-member selection committee. Each hospital has its own selection committee that include four nurses who are current year Annual Nursing Award recipients, a representative of the hospital’s Patient and Family Advisory Council, a staff member from Southcoast’s Patient Experience Department, and a physician representative.
The nomination forms are “blinded” so that the names of nominees are not known to the selection committee. DAISY Award recipients are selected based on structured criteria that includes how well they demonstrate Southcoast Health values and the strength and impact of the nomination story.
Question: How are DAISY Awards recipients honored?
Answer: Nurses who are selected for the DAISY Award are honored at a surprise ceremony that take places in the unit where they work. At the ceremony, the nurse recipient receives a DAISY Award certificate and pin, a green DAISY bag, and a surprise sweet treat. A bright and colorful DAISY banner honoring the winner hangs in the unit. Colleagues and the person or persons who nominated the nurse are invited to the event. To make the award even more special, Award recipients each receive a beautiful hand-carved Healer’s Touch sculpture made from serpentine stone by artists in Zimbabwe.
Southcoast is committed to recognizing the excellent work of all of our nurses and to highlight those nurses that shine as they connect with patients and families.
September 2020
Diane Pimental, RN, Charlton Memorial Hospital
“From the moment that Diane stepped into my room, after politely knocking on the door, I knew she was extraordinary in every way. She is one of the most talented professionals I’ve ever interacted with. She truly cares about the patients she cares for.”
Jennifer Gomes-Lackey, RN, St. Luke’s Hospital
“Jennifer is kind and thoughtful. She made me feel at ease before my procedure. Checked on me and on how I was feeling. She is an amazing nurse.”
Lynn Bliss, RN, Tobey Hospital
“Lynn is very special to all her peers and especially to all her patients. She treats patients as she would one of her own family members. Lynn is always making sure her patients are taken care of in the best way possible.”
Portuguese
NOMINAR UMA/UM ENFERMEIRA/O
Compartilhe a sua história de compaixão e cuidados de enfermagem habilidosos.
O Southcoast está comprometido em reconhecer o trabalho excelente dos nossos enfermeiros/as e a realçar esses enfermeiros/as que brilham conforme entram em contato com pacientes e familiares.
Em associação com a Fundação DAISY, o Southcoast Health reconhece e honra os enfermeiros/as extraordinários os quais providenciam cuidados compassivos nos nossos hospitais.
Clique na imagem abaixo para compartilhar a sua história de cuidado de enfermagem hospitalar excelente e para nominar um enfermeiro/a para o DAISY Award!
Se tiver perguntas sobre a nominação de um enfermeiro/a para o DAISY Award, por favor envie-nos uma mensagem por correio eletrónico para DaisyAward@southcoast.org.
Formulário de Nominação Online
Spanish
NOMINE A UN PROFESIONAL EN ENFERMERÍA
Comparta su historia sobre una atención de enfermería hábil y compasiva.
Southcoast se compromete a reconocer el excelente trabajo de su personal en enfermería y a destacar aquellos/as enfermeros/as que brillan mientras se vinculan con los pacientes y sus familias.
En asociación con la Fundación DAISY, Southcoast Health reconoce y distingue a los profesionales en enfermería excepcionales que brindan atención compasiva en nuestros hospitales.
Haga clic en la imagen que sigue para compartir su historia sobre una atención en enfermería hospitalaria excepcional y para nombrar a un/a enfermero/a para el premio DAISY!
Si tiene alguna pregunta sobre nominar a un enfermero/a para el premio DAISY, por favor envíenos un correo electrónico a DaisyAward@southcoast.org.