I am writing this DAISY Award nomination at 2 am from my bed, so thankful to be okay thanks to the quick thinking, skilled clinical care, and advocacy of this RN. For 10 years, I presented the DAISY Award at a large tertiary medical center in New York. I realized hundreds of nominations a year and know well the gold standard a DAISY Nurse is held to not only clinical care but compassion and kindness.

I arrived in the ER yesterday with what I thought may be a kidney infection, severe abdominal pain with a high fever. Within hours, my liver enzymes rose to scary numbers in the 800s and I was admitted. In the middle of the night, my fever went to 103 and I called the nurse's station crying. Because I have a bleeding disorder, I was unable to take Motrin, and because of my liver levels, I was unable to take Tylenol. This nurse’s quick thinking kept my temperature from rising to dangerous levels. This nurse was busy yet came to my room over and over with fresh bags of ice to wrap me in and administered fluids to try to get my fever under control.

The next night this nurse was back again, even with several new admissions and so busy, this nurse had the foresight to check my urine because I had been throwing up every meal and noticed dehydration and a rising temp again when I was too exhausted to notice myself. This nurse is an excellent nurse and so kind. I have worked with thousands of nurses in my career and this nurse is the brightest new graduate I have ever encountered! She is a true DAISY Nurse.