Bailey Ward, RN

Some people in this profession make you question your purpose. Others remind you how lucky we are to be here. Bailey Ward, RN, is one of those people. In our Emergency Department, an older Veteran came in alone. He simply said he was tired, but it was clear something else was going on. He looked unkempt and had lost the will to care for himself. We all noticed, but Bailey acted. Bailey sat with the Veteran, taking her time. She created a safe space where he felt comfortable and free from judgment. She learned who he was, not just why he was there, and worked with him to create a care plan. This simple act made everything that followed possible.

After building trust, Bailey gently suggested he clean up. He hesitated but agreed. What happened next stunned me for a moment. When he removed his sneakers, his feet were completely black, covered in months of dirt from walking barefoot at home, alone and forgotten. Without hesitation or judgment, Bailey looked around the ED for anything she could use to clean him up. She sat beside him and began washing his feet gently and carefully with warm wipes. The Veteran said it was the first time in a long time. She then gave him a full bed bath and even reached out to another unit for a shower cap to wash his hair, which he admitted it had been a while.

What I witnessed that day was not just a nurse completing tasks. It was a nurse restoring a Veteran's dignity. We couldn’t solve all his problems that day, but Bailey made sure he left feeling cared for, respected, and valued. Not just as a patient, but as a human being and a Veteran deserving of that care that he earned. His gratitude was immense, as was the impact of her compassion on all of us.

Bailey Ward embodies everything the DAISY Award stands for and lives and breathes the ICARE values. She reminds us that the work we do here at the VA matters. Extraordinary nursing in the Emergency Department doesn’t always happen in dramatic moments, but sometimes it happens quietly with a warm basin of water, at the foot of someone who needs to know they are not forgotten. It is my honor to humbly nominate Bailey Ward, RN, for the DAISY Award.