October 2025 Honoree
Donna Blackmon, BSN, RN, C-EFM
In various cultures, daisies represent loyalty, love, beauty, cheerfulness, joy, and fertility. It is only fitting, then, that I find myself honored to recommend Donna, our L&D nurse, for the DAISY Award in recognition of the extraordinary care, compassion, and dedication she demonstrated during one of the most significant moments of our lives, the birth of our child.
From the moment we arrived at the L&D unit, Donna made us feel safe, seen, and supported. She introduced herself with warmth and professionalism, immediately setting a tone of calm and confidence that helped ease our anxiety. Throughout the entire experience, she went above and beyond in ways we will never forget.
What stood out most was her ability to balance clinical excellence with deep empathy. She anticipated our needs before we even expressed them, whether it was adjusting my position for comfort, explaining procedures clearly and calmly, or offering encouraging words when labor became overwhelming. She treated us, patient and family alike, as individuals experiencing a deeply personal moment.
During a particularly intense stretch of labor, Donna stayed by our side with firm reassurance. Her presence was like an anchor in the storm. She advocated for our birth plan while remaining flexible and responsive as things evolved. Her clinical knowledge and judgment were impeccable, and we trusted her completely. She answered every question with patience, clarity, and even humor, making sure we felt empowered and cared for.
Nurses like Donna leave a lasting mark, not just through their medical skill, but through the way they make you feel. Most remarkably, she wasn’t even scheduled to work that day. However, she jumped right in to take on a patient and help relieve the staff. Later that evening, when it was time for shift change, she was determined to see our experience through, saying she was going to “finish what she started.”
Now that’s going above and beyond. That’s loyalty. That’s extraordinary.
We are so blessed to have had Donna as our nurse. She was a Godsend. She embodies everything the DAISY Award stands for: compassionate care, clinical excellence, and an unwavering commitment to patients and families. We are deeply grateful to her and will carry her kindness with us forever.
From the moment we arrived at the L&D unit, Donna made us feel safe, seen, and supported. She introduced herself with warmth and professionalism, immediately setting a tone of calm and confidence that helped ease our anxiety. Throughout the entire experience, she went above and beyond in ways we will never forget.
What stood out most was her ability to balance clinical excellence with deep empathy. She anticipated our needs before we even expressed them, whether it was adjusting my position for comfort, explaining procedures clearly and calmly, or offering encouraging words when labor became overwhelming. She treated us, patient and family alike, as individuals experiencing a deeply personal moment.
During a particularly intense stretch of labor, Donna stayed by our side with firm reassurance. Her presence was like an anchor in the storm. She advocated for our birth plan while remaining flexible and responsive as things evolved. Her clinical knowledge and judgment were impeccable, and we trusted her completely. She answered every question with patience, clarity, and even humor, making sure we felt empowered and cared for.
Nurses like Donna leave a lasting mark, not just through their medical skill, but through the way they make you feel. Most remarkably, she wasn’t even scheduled to work that day. However, she jumped right in to take on a patient and help relieve the staff. Later that evening, when it was time for shift change, she was determined to see our experience through, saying she was going to “finish what she started.”
Now that’s going above and beyond. That’s loyalty. That’s extraordinary.
We are so blessed to have had Donna as our nurse. She was a Godsend. She embodies everything the DAISY Award stands for: compassionate care, clinical excellence, and an unwavering commitment to patients and families. We are deeply grateful to her and will carry her kindness with us forever.
Thank you, Donna, for your exceptional compassion, advocacy, and dedication to your patients. You truly make a difference.
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