Near the end of Carly’s 12-hour shift, a patient arrived in the Emergency Department in the care of an Emergency Medical Services (EMS) crew. 

When I arrived in the treatment room, to my relief, I found Carly to be among several other nurses and technicians in the room assessing the situation and beginning to take the actions necessary for the patient. 

Carly gave a calm, succinct report to me while taking decisive action, leading by example, performing procedures,
assisting with equipment and providing engaging and constructive feedback during patient care.

This is one example of many encounters that demonstrate who Carly is as an individual and as an emergency nurse. I can go into the details of the large-bore, intravenous (IV) accesses she obtained, the skilled and flawless way she performed each intervention and assessment, prioritizing and moving from each component of the resuscitation to the other with high efficiency and reliability. I could list each comment she made to the team and me that was very perceptive, essential, helpful, and reflected her strong understanding of the clinical situation and what was a priority at each point during resuscitation. 

However, in addition to this particular event, I’m nominating Carly because it’s not just a single, isolated event. Carly is consistently exceptional in her knowledge, skills, compassion, and caring, her ability to communicate, and her willingness and effort to help and teach others. She is passionate about learning new things and improving her skills. She engages in everything that develops her as a great nurse and an asset to the other members of the team caring for patients.

She is driven, dedicated, exhibits the highest standards of excellence, and is an example of an extraordinary nurse. She takes pride in the opportunity she has as a nurse, yet she does so without an ounce of hubris. Without hesitation, I would select her to be a member of any clinical team. For that matter, I would nominate her for any goal-oriented team because she possesses the qualities that lead to success.

Beyond her capacity to be an outstanding nurse, Carly is a wonderful person. She exhibits a strong work ethic, genuine compassion, and love for other people, is patient in situations of heightened stress, enjoys her work, and finds joy in life. She is a nurturing mother and a wonderful friend. She is kind and considerate to patients, their family members, co-workers, and nearly everyone she meets. Carly also knows how and when to be focused on the tasks involved in her work and when to take time in the midst of chaotic situations and provide comfort and reassurance to those entrusted in her care. This
demonstrates the intangible aspect of the humanity involved in the profession of nursing. She is trustworthy and kind in her honesty, maintains professional and personal integrity, is respectable in character, and is pleasant to work with. She easily builds a rapport with her patients and fellow clinicians. She consistently offers kind words, bright smiles, reassuring hugs, comforting touches, keenly observant eyes, and ears that notice life-threatening situations, and the mind and hands needed to provide the life-saving treatment.

It is without reservation that I nominate Carly for the DAISY Award for her excellence in nursing and outstanding individual character. She reflects great credit upon herself, the emergency department, and the nursing profession.