I am nominating Jessica Jones, an ICU resource nurse, for the DAISY Award. Jess leads the ICU with heart, extraordinary compassion, critical thinking, and humanity. Jess began her career in the ICU as a new graduate and has grown into one of the most dependable and skilled resource nurses, of whom I couldn't be prouder. On this day, the ICU was full, acuity was high, and there were several competing demands, including a critical patient on another unit that urgently required her attention. Despite the intensity of the situation, Jess remained calm, focused, and above all, patient-centered. When Jess learned that the terminally ill husband of one of her ICU patients was unexpectedly brought into the emergency department, Jess immediately recognized the gravity of the situation and acted. Jess had a room stat cleaned and arranged to move her ICU patient into the larger room to accommodate a stretcher, so that her patient’s husband could be brought up from the ED to be by her side.

Due to Jess's quick thinking and swift coordination, the patient was able to spend her husband's final moments with him as he passed away. It was so inspiring to see that even in the middle of this chaotic, high acuity day, Jess was able to create a moment of dignity, love, and peace for a family who truly needed it at the end of life. Her actions exemplify what nursing is truly about: seeing the human behind the diagnosis, recognizing what matters most, and doing what it takes to make a difference. Jess truly went above and beyond, making a lasting impact on the patient, her family, and the staff. Jess is the ultimate example of what it means to be a nurse; she is kind, caring, compassionate, and leads with heart. I firmly believe that Jess’s unwavering commitment to her patients and to her staff makes her immensely deserving of a DAISY Award.