Andrea Homan, BSN, CHPN is a highly worthy candidate of the DAISY Award! The only certified hospice palliative care nurse in MICU, Andrea has solid critical thinking and time management skills. Andrea is very frequently commended by patients and family members in MICU.

Most recently, Andrea took care of a complex, ventilated, very anxious patient with severe lupus. This patient was in MICU on the ventilator for about 50 days, had died and was revived by our staff, had frequent panic attacks, and complex family dynamics.

One day last month, Andrea had a typically very busy day with two demanding patients. Andrea participated in daily bedside rounds, discussed the option of taking her patient outside for the first time. After receiving approval, she got the patient’s approval, respiratory therapy’s buyin and the family’s buyin to take her patient outside. Respiratory Therapy and the family accompanied Andrea and her patient outside. The patient’s anxiety was virtually absent during the outing.

Two days later (Sunday), the patient’s mom left me a message asking me to call her. Thinking something was wrong, I immediately called her back. She said that she wanted to tell me how wonderful Andrea was in caring for her daughter over the weekend. Mom said she had never before seen someone who could manage her daughter’s anxiety and many needs as well as Andrea did, and would there be any possible way she could have Andrea as her nurse again in the future.

Andrea was commended on her ability to effectively communicate with this patient, and on having the ability to distract her from things that made her anxious. Andrea is very deserving of a DAISY Award!