The story begins late on Thursday, October 20, when my best friend, Barbara, was rushed to emergency at Mission Hospital. While the diagnosis was a little foggy, it was suspected that she had meningitis, compounded by the growing tumors in her spine from metastasizing breast cancer. She was soon placed in the care of the 6th floor nursing staff at St. Joseph’s.

I was blessed and honored to be her companion during this difficult transition and was able to personally witness the care and compassion of the 6th floor nursing staff. While there are a number of persons I want to acknowledge, there is one that stands out among them who I want to nominate for the DAISY Award.

Nursing, I believe, is not just to be focused on the ill, but instead to provide care and consideration for family and friends who are also suffering while enduring the imminent death of their loved ones. While tending to the sick, it only takes a simple smile, acknowledgement, or kind word to help ease the burden of impending loss for those who will be left behind when their family member or friend passes on.

There were so many wonderful nurses and supporting staff that understood the importance of Barbara’s life and the love she shared with her family and friends. Many of the nurses during her brief stay at St. Joseph’s took time and provided care for her in such a way as to honor her life. Though most of them should be recognized for their wonderful work, there is one who I believe to be outstanding in her nursing field. Lacie Brigman recognized Barbara as the amazing angel she was and tended to her in such a considerate way as if she were caring for her own mother. Lacie treated both of us with the utmost respect and kindness, as if we were the only people in the world and she was there just for us. While she ensured Barbara’s medical care to be the very best, attending to the necessary fluid intake and pain medication, she also made sure that I was alright. She took the time to talk with me, to comfort me and to allow me to grieve while supporting me in a strong and yet very sensitive way.

Lacie is most deserving of the DAISY Award for outstanding nurses as she possesses not only the ability and knowledge of applying the medical side of nursing, but combines it with her people skills to provide the perfect blend of professionalism and personality to present her best all-around skills as a nurse. You should feel blessed to have her working on your nursing team and I hope this letter will be a catalyst to recognize her efforts and help to spur her nursing career forward.

While I am nominating Lacie for this award I would also like to take the time to recognize the efforts of the following people who also cared for Barbara during her brief stay with your hospital. I hope you will find the time to commend these wonderful women on their devotion to their nursing practice:
• Allyson Self, RN
• Cathy Price, RN
• Mary Teague, RN
• Emily Price, CNA
• Suelana Kushnir, Sitter
• Cara Craig, RN
I would like to commend all of these fine women for doing an outstanding job taking care of my beautiful friend, Barbara. If she were still alive today, I know that she would be the one writing this recommendation.