I am so excited to recognize Courtney Chihil. The reason I use the word excited is because Courtney has always been one of my favorite nurses to work with from the start. She's hardworking, motivated, fun, kind, energetic and compassionate. She is relentlessly gracious and appreciative of everything.
Due to her humble nature, Courtney would never brag or outwardly speak about her excellent patient care. I was overjoyed and so humbled myself when I received an email about Courtney from a patient's family member earlier this week. This patient's daughter had been on Facebook trying to track down our agency and me so she could share her touching and uplifting story about Courtney. I wanted to share the testimony with you all:
"I wanted to reach out regarding your amazing traveler Courtney. My mom suffered a massive stroke and during her time at the hospital, we had the pleasure of having Courtney as one of her nurses. During this truly horrendous time for our family as our mom did not survive, Courtney was a ray of light. She advocated for us during this difficult time when she knew we needed "real" information, not doctor information. She checked on us as well and answered our endless questions. She treated my mom so compassionately and it was from the heart, I needed that more than I can express. Courtney came and checked on us even when we were no longer her patient. Courtney is the perfect example of what a nurse should be but more importantly, she is an angel, in my opinion. She made our family tragedy a little easier if that's possible, and I will be eternally grateful for her."
This story is a true testament to Courtney's values and her ability to impact others in her career. I am so blessed and thankful to be able to work with someone like Courtney who encompasses all of the principles that The DAISY Award stands for. Her effort to go above and beyond for a patient's family is proof to who she is a person. This is only one story, but I am confident she has impacted hundreds of families throughout her time as a nurse. As I mentioned before, her humility has prevented her from ever boasting about her outstanding patient care to me. She has made an everlasting impact on the people around her, and for that, she deserves to be recognized for making such a powerful difference in their lives.