I am honored to nominate Dee McIntyre for the DAISY Award. Dee is a long term staff nurse who has chosen to stay at the bedside through the years. She has told me many times when we discuss career avenues "I want to be a bedside nurse where I can take excellent care of my patients".

Dee practices holistic nursing each day she works her shifts in the ED. Examples of how she gives holistic, compassionate care are below.

Dee ensures each patient who has a birthday and ends up in the ED on that special day receives a birthday cake and a Happy Birthday song. She will take the extra steps to ensure her patients are kept warm with blankets, especially our geriatric population. I decided instead of me talking about ways Dee exemplifies the way a nurse that has a positive impact on our patients and their families, I will share the peer comments in her evaluation this year. Peer comments are below.

"Dee attempts to personalize the patients experience in the ED, incorporating the family in the conversations, and taking care of the extra "needs" they may have (i.e. blankets, beverages, etc). When in triage, she smiles and greets the patients warmly and adjusts her approach based on the age/development level of the patient."

"I think Dee can be very compassionate in the care of her patients. She does spend the time trying to connect with them. Dee is very good at interacting with all ages and her communication is geared appropriately. Dee is a good patient advocate. She not only takes care of her patient but understands the importance of taking care of the whole family."

"Dee has received patient compliments during discharge call backs. Examples of patient comments are

I can't believe how nice my nurse, Dee, was.'

The nurse, Dee, was reassuring and explained things well, very nice'

Dee was very nice'

Dee, my nurse, was so gentle with my mom.'"




"Dee is a very knowledgeable and experienced certified ED nurse who understands the importance of caring for the whole person. She displays compassion and respect to her patients and takes the time to address the little things."

"Dee has an incredible amount of compassion for her patients. She is especially good with pediatrics and geriatrics. She makes the patients feel more comfortable."

"Dee shows regard for patient's dignity every day at work. She sits down to talk to patients as individuals and really listens to what they have to say. She is respectful of patient rights and privacy. She introduces herself to patients each time she enters the room and thanks the patients as well."

"Dee has such a big and kind heart. She is always going out of her way to make our patient's experiences the best that they can be. For example, she thought of providing cold bottled water for our patients and visitors this summer and participated in the patient's first committee."

...

Dee is proud to be a nurse, she takes great ownership in her patients/families care and ensures she uses "teachback" with all patients so they can care for themselves at home. I have seen Dee comfort the very old, the very young, the infants, and her co-workers; she has a big heart for her patients and goes above and beyond each day to ensure her patients are well cared for.

Dee was the first certified nurse in our department; it was long before certification was an expectation. She recently took the Geriatric Resource Nurse course because she wants to ensure our elderly population is cared for with expertise in the ED. Dee is a cheerleader for her colleagues as they pursue certification. She is a great resource for our younger nurses when it comes to patient teaching, she is an expert.

Dee is truly an example of a nurse who loves caring for her patients and proud of her profession.