Courtney Conrad
June 2025
Courtney
Conrad
,
RN
Intensive Care Unit
Prisma Health Oconee Memorial Hospital
Seneca
,
SC
United States
She refused to let him suffer, advocating relentlessly for the medications and comfort measures he needed for a peaceful passing.
It is with profound admiration that I nominate Courtney Conrad for the DAISY Award. Her extraordinary compassion and dedication were evident in the care she provided for a patient facing a devastating reality—an unexpected terminal diagnosis that left him with only days to live. This patient spent most of his time in the hospital alone, without family by his side. He made the heartbreaking decision to withdraw the life-sustaining treatment keeping him alive.
Despite a heavy patient load on a chaotic day, Courtney made sure he was never truly alone. She sat with him, listening as he shared his life story—the memories he cherished, the dreams he once had. She asked questions, not just to pass the time but to make him feel seen and heard in a moment when the world seemed to be slipping away from him.
On the day he chose to die, he made a final request—to look like himself again. Courtney took the time to gently wash and comb his hair, give him a fresh shave, and dress him in clean clothes. Though his body was failing him, she ensured that he left this world with dignity, not as just another patient in a hospital bed, but as the man he had been—respected, cared for, and valued.
When the time came to remove the oxygen keeping him alive, Courtney fought fiercely to ensure he was not in pain. She refused to let him suffer, advocating relentlessly for the medications and comfort measures he needed for a peaceful passing. He called her “his new best friend, Courtney,” the last connection he formed before his passing. And as he took his final breaths, she remained at his side.
This patient’s story could have been one of loneliness and fear in his final moments, but because of Courtney, it became one of dignity, compassion, and peace. Her actions remind us of the immeasurable power of nursing—not just to heal but to comfort, to advocate, and to ensure that no one leaves this world feeling forgotten. Courtney’s care was the final act of kindness this patient experienced, and for that, she is more than deserving of this honor.
Despite a heavy patient load on a chaotic day, Courtney made sure he was never truly alone. She sat with him, listening as he shared his life story—the memories he cherished, the dreams he once had. She asked questions, not just to pass the time but to make him feel seen and heard in a moment when the world seemed to be slipping away from him.
On the day he chose to die, he made a final request—to look like himself again. Courtney took the time to gently wash and comb his hair, give him a fresh shave, and dress him in clean clothes. Though his body was failing him, she ensured that he left this world with dignity, not as just another patient in a hospital bed, but as the man he had been—respected, cared for, and valued.
When the time came to remove the oxygen keeping him alive, Courtney fought fiercely to ensure he was not in pain. She refused to let him suffer, advocating relentlessly for the medications and comfort measures he needed for a peaceful passing. He called her “his new best friend, Courtney,” the last connection he formed before his passing. And as he took his final breaths, she remained at his side.
This patient’s story could have been one of loneliness and fear in his final moments, but because of Courtney, it became one of dignity, compassion, and peace. Her actions remind us of the immeasurable power of nursing—not just to heal but to comfort, to advocate, and to ensure that no one leaves this world feeling forgotten. Courtney’s care was the final act of kindness this patient experienced, and for that, she is more than deserving of this honor.