My husband was on 5East for two weeks. Dannica took care of him on many day shifts and weekends. While I know she has been here for a short time, she showed her compassion and advocacy for him. The DAISY Award is for the Extraordinary Nurse. In my experience, the person doesn’t need to be with the most “critical patients” but does what some may feel is “extraordinary.”

I found a nurse can make a difference by gaining the trust of the patient, and Dannica accomplished that.

There were several days when my husband's BP was low and required intervention. I knew he wasn’t her only patient and that she was busy. Throughout her shifts, she was coming to check on him and notifying the doctor when appropriate. There was never a time she left the room without encouraging him, patting his hand, and asking if we needed anything.

She worked through her lunch, I asked, to deliver care to her patients. As a nurse, it is hard to leave a shift feeling you were not able to deliver the care you wanted. She sacrificed her self-care to do this. I was upset and tearful one night as my husband fell, an assisted fall. Not only did she show my husband compassion, but to me as well. Dannica assured me it was okay despite pointed discussions in the room.

All in all, you may not see Dannica’s care as “extraordinary,” but she made the difference with our family. Her smiling and caring attitude went a long way.

We always felt at ease when she was our nurse. Dannica is a DAISY Nurse for her “extraordinary care.”