Emergency Department - Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital
December 2025
Emergency Department -
Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital
Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital
Plattsburgh
,
NY
United States
Katie Totten, RN
Hailey McLaughlin, RN
Lysandra Barney, RN
Courtney Coon, RN
Hailey McLaughlin, RN
Lysandra Barney, RN
Courtney Coon, RN
When a woman carried her four-year-old son into the Emergency Department at University of Vermont Health Network – Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital, fear filled the air. Her little boy, who is autistic, had always been afraid of hospitals. This mother expected tears, panic, and heartbreak.
Instead, a group of nurses transformed that moment of fear into one of courage and comfort, says the mother, Katie Totten, RN, and Hailey McLaughlin, RN, who went beyond excellent clinical care of her child, giving him hope and his family peace. She remembers them speaking gently to him, explaining every step, and making sure he felt safe. The mother says they felt like family.
“They went above and beyond words can even express,” she writes in her nomination of the nurses for the DAISY Team Award at the hospital. “They made him feel comfortable and gave him the best experience. This resulted in him not being afraid of the hospital anymore. He was the bravest boy I have ever seen him be.”
Totten and McLaughlin weren’t alone. Lysandra Barney, RN, and Courtney Coon, RN, played an equally vital role. They purchased Hot Wheels cars to turn anxiety into curiosity.
“Courtney and Lysandra showed remarkable compassion by using simple objects to spark curiosity and comfort,” says Michael Wells, BSN, RN, nurse manager in the Emergency Department. “Their creativity helped a young patient shift his focus from fear to fun, building trust in a moment that mattered most.”
The mother added that this was life-changing for a child who had always dreaded medical visits. She noticed the nurses didn’t rush, watching them connect, laugh, and celebrate his bravery.
“It not only meant the world to him but for both of us as parents as well,” she shares.
She adds that by the time they left, her son was calm and proud. She says he faced his fears and came out stronger, thanks to four nurses who understood that care is about more than medicine.
She believes her son will remember these nurses for a long time. So will she. “I am so grateful for them,” she writes. “They made a difference for my son, and for me.”
Instead, a group of nurses transformed that moment of fear into one of courage and comfort, says the mother, Katie Totten, RN, and Hailey McLaughlin, RN, who went beyond excellent clinical care of her child, giving him hope and his family peace. She remembers them speaking gently to him, explaining every step, and making sure he felt safe. The mother says they felt like family.
“They went above and beyond words can even express,” she writes in her nomination of the nurses for the DAISY Team Award at the hospital. “They made him feel comfortable and gave him the best experience. This resulted in him not being afraid of the hospital anymore. He was the bravest boy I have ever seen him be.”
Totten and McLaughlin weren’t alone. Lysandra Barney, RN, and Courtney Coon, RN, played an equally vital role. They purchased Hot Wheels cars to turn anxiety into curiosity.
“Courtney and Lysandra showed remarkable compassion by using simple objects to spark curiosity and comfort,” says Michael Wells, BSN, RN, nurse manager in the Emergency Department. “Their creativity helped a young patient shift his focus from fear to fun, building trust in a moment that mattered most.”
The mother added that this was life-changing for a child who had always dreaded medical visits. She noticed the nurses didn’t rush, watching them connect, laugh, and celebrate his bravery.
“It not only meant the world to him but for both of us as parents as well,” she shares.
She adds that by the time they left, her son was calm and proud. She says he faced his fears and came out stronger, thanks to four nurses who understood that care is about more than medicine.
She believes her son will remember these nurses for a long time. So will she. “I am so grateful for them,” she writes. “They made a difference for my son, and for me.”