Arbutus Mullins
May 2025
Arbutus
Mullins
,
RN, CLC
Pensacola, FL
Navy - Marine Corps Relief Society
Arlington
,
VA
United States
She helped me with my benefits after my husband’s passing, ensuring that I had the financial support I needed.
I am honored to nominate this nurse for the DAISY Award because she has made a huge impact in my life in ways I never thought possible. This past year has been the hardest of my life—I became a widow after losing my beloved husband. During my grief, I was overwhelmed with so many challenges, especially with navigating my benefits and securing my future. But then Arbutus Mullins came into my life, and I truly believed she was a gift.
From the very beginning, she went above and beyond what anyone could expect. She helped me with my benefits after my husband’s passing, ensuring that I had the financial support I needed. She even connected me with a law firm specializing in senior services, which ultimately helped me establish trust and save my home. "If it wasn’t for her, I would have lost my home."
Independence is so important to me, but it’s not easy—I have macular degeneration and am legally blind, which makes it difficult to navigate my own house. I don’t drive, and my family lives far away. Arbutus didn’t just recognize my challenges—she acted. She conducted a safety assessment of my home, set me up with assistive devices for the blind, arranged for an emergency alert system, and personally made the calls and filled out the applications I couldn’t read. She also connected me with organizations that support people with vision loss.
She did all of this with such kindness and patience. She sat with me, read to me, and helped me complete countless application tasks that would have been impossible for me to do alone. “She saved me from losing my home.” More than that, she gave me the ability to remain independent and continue living safely in my own house.
"I don’t know where she came from, but she was a gift." That is exactly what she is—a gift to me and to every patient she cares for. She is not just a nurse; she has been my advocate, my protector, and “the best friend I could have.”
To her, this is more than a job—she truly cares, and it shows in everything she does. This Visiting Nurse program is something special, and this nurse embodies everything that makes it so valuable. Because of her, I am safe, I am still in my home, and I am not alone. There is no one more deserving of this recognition than Arbutus. She is the heart of nursing, and I am forever grateful for her.
From the very beginning, she went above and beyond what anyone could expect. She helped me with my benefits after my husband’s passing, ensuring that I had the financial support I needed. She even connected me with a law firm specializing in senior services, which ultimately helped me establish trust and save my home. "If it wasn’t for her, I would have lost my home."
Independence is so important to me, but it’s not easy—I have macular degeneration and am legally blind, which makes it difficult to navigate my own house. I don’t drive, and my family lives far away. Arbutus didn’t just recognize my challenges—she acted. She conducted a safety assessment of my home, set me up with assistive devices for the blind, arranged for an emergency alert system, and personally made the calls and filled out the applications I couldn’t read. She also connected me with organizations that support people with vision loss.
She did all of this with such kindness and patience. She sat with me, read to me, and helped me complete countless application tasks that would have been impossible for me to do alone. “She saved me from losing my home.” More than that, she gave me the ability to remain independent and continue living safely in my own house.
"I don’t know where she came from, but she was a gift." That is exactly what she is—a gift to me and to every patient she cares for. She is not just a nurse; she has been my advocate, my protector, and “the best friend I could have.”
To her, this is more than a job—she truly cares, and it shows in everything she does. This Visiting Nurse program is something special, and this nurse embodies everything that makes it so valuable. Because of her, I am safe, I am still in my home, and I am not alone. There is no one more deserving of this recognition than Arbutus. She is the heart of nursing, and I am forever grateful for her.