The DAISY Award is a way to honor phenomenal nurses – men and women who view their profession as a vehicle by which to make their unit, hospital and community physically and emotionally at their best one patient at a time. Lee Mitchell-Brown is one of these phenomenal nurses. I met Lee 3 years ago and was amazed by her knowledge, skill, sincerity and dignity. She is the unsung hero of our hospital; only fully recognized when she takes vacation – far less than she deserves – at which time we almost fall apart. She advocates for her patients, never judges and embodies the picture of respect and compassion to all she interacts with. She makes her patients feel comfortable in what is often a humiliating situation and truly practices our hospital’s four core values of excellence, dignity, service and justice.
One particular interaction that stands out was when one of my patients, a young girl, was unable to tolerate the dressing changes to a wound. Lee helped her with guided imagery, focusing on this girl’s favorite place – the beach. Lee brought in a beach ball, sand, shells, etc. The girl was then able to tolerate the dressing change. Words cannot express how grateful and touched this girl and her family were.
Lee is truly phenomenal and greatly deserves the DAISY Award.