Tammie Friend

Tammie's last name is a reflection of her approach to nursing which makes her the perfect recipient for the Daisy Award. She comes to work each day with a smile and positive attitude. This positive caring attitude is infectious. One can visibly see the patients brighten up as she enters the room.

One day, I assisted her while she was working with a cancer patient in the last stages of the disease. Quietly and gently, while using the best sterile techniques possible, she accessed the patient’s port-a-cath. The area surrounding the port was sore from the multiple accesses. Tears welled up in the patient’s eyes as the access needle plunged into the site. Once she had finished and had the area covered with a sterile dressing, she sat on the bed and hugged the patient until the patient composed herself. Then, using her clever humor and her smile, she soon had the patient and the patient’s husband laughing. This illustrates why she is the nurse of choice to orient new nurses to the department. She is the best in all she does and is the best nominee for The DAISY Award.