Laura Simon is undoubtedly an extraordinary nurse - she is one of the most caring, loving and compassionate individuals that I know, not only in the workplace. She goes out of her way day after day to make a difference in her patients' lives and is not satisfied until she knows she has done her best for each individual.
The reason I would like to nominate Laura for this prestigious award is for the care that she provided for one of our long-term stroke patients who was awaiting placement for several months on our unit. The patient was nonverbal and non-ambulatory though made it perfectly clear who he did and did not like - he clearly loved Laura! And it is no wonder; she was patient and loving, going the extra mile to ensure he would receive the highest quality of care each shift she worked with him.
One shift in particular during the last couple of months, Laura came up to me and said, "I know it sounds crazy, but will you help me get him out of bed?" - "Of course, I would," was my response. This patient had spent the better part of the last year bedbound so this was going to be a challenge but that was not going to deter Laura. With the use of the Hoyer lift and several other care team members, we managed to get the patient to a recliner in his room.
Because of his deconditioning over the last year, Laura could see that he wasn't very comfortable sitting up in the recliner, particularly with the position of his neck. Wanting to ensure that he was going to tolerate this as the new normal, getting out of bed on a frequent basis, Laura went down to the gift shop and bought the patient a memory foam neck pillow with which he was clearly pleased. But, her kindness did not stop there; after 30 minutes up in the chair, Laura then asked me if I would help her take the patient outside into the sunshine - again I agreed that that would be so wonderful for the patient. Together we embarked on this mission to get the sun's rays to shine on the face of an individual who had been confined to the inside of a hospital room for months. His reaction, with silent tears running down his face, was something that will resonate with me throughout my nursing career. Although he couldn't express his gratitude, it was clear that Laura's tenacity with ensuring this patient would receive the best care she could provide had had such a profound impact on his hospitalization as well as his life. It was an unforgettable, poignant experience and it is for this reason that I believe Laura should be the recipient of The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses.