Kayla Smith is an extraordinary nurse. There is not just a single event or story that would justify Kayla receiving the DAISY Award. Nightly, she intervenes and goes above and beyond to care for the needs of the patients and their families. Recently, Kayla was evaluating a patient and recognized a significant finding on an imaging test and alerted the appropriate providers. The patient required an escalation in care to the ICU because of the significance of the finding. This timely recognition allowed the patient to receive necessary, important, and timely care that gave the patient a positive outcome. If Kayla had not intervened, the patient most likely would have lost their life.

This story is not an isolated event but a repeating example of Kayla's performance. She exemplifies the mission, vision, and values of Orange Park Hospital every time she is working. Each shift she takes time to educate staff, patients, and families during the care process and is thoughtful, compassionate, and caring in the delivery of her care. Kayla truly does care about the outcomes of each patient.