Navigating complex care can be challenging. Involving a family member in the daily plan of care while juggling daily routines, physician orders, and sometimes unplanned treatment is extra challenging for one who has three or four other patients to take care of. Our caring, compassionate, and experienced 5MSB boys worked like a well-oiled machine to meet the needs of the patient and family. They all understand that when they all work as a team, the patient receives not just excellent but an extraordinary, memorable care experience.  

Juan Morales is one of the nurses who took care of the patient. Juan is a night shift staff. Due to a staffing shortage, he agreed to come in early to help the day shift crew. Juan never complained when he was told he was assigned to room X. He quickly learned the case and was very prompt in coordinating follow-up visits between two physicians from different specialties to meet with the patient and the family member to address their concerns. Juan dedicated as much time as needed to make them feel comfortable, educating them, and answering questions. The daughter was especially concerned that she thought her dad was being sent home unprepared. Juan took the time to coordinate between multidisciplinary teams- the rheumatologist and the case manager to address her concerns. On top of this, he also took care of the patient’s wound care dressing. Juan religiously and patiently followed the wound care instructions to ensure he stayed consistent with the dressing change.  

Michael Garcia is truly remarkable in the number of roles he performs. He is flexible in his role of charge nurse, patient when orienting new nurses in his unit, and kind and sensitive in managing staff. Leadership is innate for Michael. A self-motivated nurse, Michael sees a need or a job that needs to be done and just runs with it. Another concern brought up by the family is the lack of priority to mobilize and ambulate his dad. Mike quickly came up with a solution to meet this need. Because he is a safety champion, Mike did not only think about the safety of the patient, but he also recognized the need to keep his team safe. Before his shift ended, they transferred the patient to a room with a ceiling lift. When I met the daughter in the hallway on her way home, she was ecstatic to share that her dad was sitting on the chair for his dinner.  

Bon San Pedro is detail-oriented, highly trained, and always motivated to learn more. He takes the time with physicians and his charge nurse to keep everyone updated and informed about his patients. His coworkers have the utmost respect for him. His empathy and compassion come through when he deals with families expressing extra concerns about the care their loved ones receive from the team. Like Juan, Bon ensures he follows the wound care instructions to remain consistent with others. When I asked the patient for feedback regarding the care he receives from the team, Bon’s name was the first one he uttered.  

Esmeraldo “Ed” Domasig is the department administrator for 5MSB. The family had nothing but positive remarks for Ed- on how he handled their concerns. Instead of looking at the family member as another “difficult case,” he was extra responsive and attentive to their needs. Ed quickly gathered the team to ensure everyone was on the same page. The daughter validated this during my visit. She stated, “Ed checked on us constantly.”  

He took the time to listen to them, especially since they had been in the hospital for ten days and the patient was having a bad day. Ed uses humor to make his patients smile and feel like they are the most important patient in the hospital.  

Dexter Adajar is a phenomenal nurse—he is always patient, explains things to patients in detail, and thinks one step ahead. He is trustworthy, has good clinical acumen, and, more importantly, is kind and empathetic. He comes to work every day with a smile, making his colleagues’ day at work so much easier. I witnessed several interactions between Dexter and his patients. He greeted each new patient with a smile and did his best to make them feel at ease. And that was the case for this particular patient. The daughter had many questions and concerns about his dad’s condition. Dexter did an excellent job addressing those concerns. The patient gave two thumbs up as he mentioned Dexter’s name! 

It would be impossible and incredibly unfair to pick just one nurse for the DAISY Award. Everyone meets the patient’s needs using their clinical expertise to navigate. As the family member mentioned, “Every time I am here with my dad, I see how they treat him like a family: constantly reassuring him, talking to him as a person, and ensuring he is safe.”