Julia Helt is the definition of an Extraordinary Nurse. Every day she comes to work and gives her patients the best care possible. But, today, she did something extra special that deserves to be recognized. We had a patient that was a young adult whose dad was here with him. They were here for work, were not from Indiana, and did not have transportation. They had no other family in the area, it was just the patient and his father. The patient ended up needing to be transferred to a hospital in Indianapolis. We requested that EMS let the dad ride with them, but unfortunately, they denied it. The dad was so sweet and very upset about the stressful situation he and his son were in. Julia worked five nights in a row, then stayed awake after her shift to wait for transport to get here so she could drive the dad to Indianapolis. This kind gesture took her own time and money but meant the world to the patient's father. Julia never even blinked an eye at the situation. She was doing everything to make sure the dad could be with his son. Nurses are supposed to be caring and compassionate to patients and families while they are at work taking care of them. In this situation, Julia went above and beyond the duties of her job.

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I would like to nominate this nurse as a deserving recipient of the DAISY Award.  Julia Helt is an exceptional nurse because of the way she cares for not only her patients but also their families. We had a patient who was not from here and only had his father with him. They were here for work, originally from Arizona, when something happened, and the son needed to be hospitalized. The patient needed a higher level of care, so he was going to have to be taken by ambulance. The father didn't have a vehicle here because he was here for work, and someone originally dropped him off. I was trying to secure the patient a ride and was trying to make sure the father could go with him. Due to unforeseen policy, the father was unable to ride with the son in the ambulance. The father was distraught because they had been put through so much in only a few days and he was his son's interpreter and guardian. Without even hesitation, Julia was making arrangements to take the father up to the hospital in Indianapolis where the son was going. This is the type of person and nurse Julia Helt is. She is the most selfless person I have ever met and immediately tried to help not only the patient but also the father. She is an amazing nurse who provides excellent evidence-based practices, and this really goes to show her empathy and compassion. Julia consistently meets all of the ICARE2 values of integrity, courage, accountability, respect, and exceeding expectations.

Note: this is Julia's 2nd DAISY Award!