I have been trying for days to put into words eloquently how absolutely deserving Alyssa Dougan is of receiving the DAISY Award. As a healthcare professional myself, it is so very difficult to provide the care that we all want to provide daily because of all the many "tasks" that are added to the list, or problems that arise. But Alyssa is a very competent young lady who can prioritize. She is a very effective communicator and extremely compassionate.
Alyssa helped save my mom's life on a Tuesday when she was going into respiratory failure. At the end of the week when our family decided on comfort care, Alyssa was right there with us to provide kind and compassionate service to my mom as she was dying.
All the nurses were wonderful, but I noticed that we never had to call Alyssa when it was time for my mom's pain medicine. She always came in right on time and talked to our mother in a sweet, loving way. She was able to explain the process, which is very scary to family members, especially those who do not understand medicine. She went above and beyond the call of duty. If you must go through a loved one dying, I would think Alyssa would be an "angel" sent from above.
She is young and excellent and will only get better and better. I foresee this young lady with a bright future in nursing. She is truly a gift from above and deserving of this award.
Thank you and thank you Mercy Springfield for the wonderful care of our mother.