Lindsey
Palmquist
May 2025
Lindsey
Palmquist
Washington State University College of Nursing
Spokane
,
WA
United States
Lindsey embodies the core values of the DAISY Award by demonstrating a commitment to compassionate care, fostering trusting relationships with patients, families, and peers, and passionately advocating for those who are often overlooked.
It is my pleasure to nominate Lindsey Palmquist for the DAISY Award in recognition of her exceptional compassion, kindness, and commitment to patient-centered care. During the recent Point-in-Time Count, Lindsey demonstrated an unwavering dedication to serving our community's most vulnerable members: individuals experiencing homelessness.
Beyond simply assisting with the count, Lindsey made a profound impact by providing warmth, empathy, and a listening ear to those in need. She went above and beyond her role, taking the time to engage respectfully and compassionately with each individual she met. Her ability to make meaningful connections, build trust, and advocate for their needs was evident, as she not only addressed immediate health concerns but also offered emotional support and guidance to available resources. Her compassionate actions did not go unnoticed—one community member was so moved by her kindness and dedication that he personally honored her efforts by sending me an email.
Lindsey embodies the core values of the DAISY Award by demonstrating a commitment to compassionate care, fostering trusting relationships with patients, families, and peers, and passionately advocating for those who are often overlooked. She is a shining example of what it means to be a nurse—one who serves with heart, integrity, and an unrelenting drive to make a difference. I wholeheartedly support Lindsey for this well-deserved award and am confident that she will continue to bring comfort, care, and advocacy to all those she encounters throughout her nursing career.
***
I just had to write a note of commendation for Lindsey, one of the two WSU students I worked with yesterday for the Point In Time count.
As a nurse myself, I was moved to see how quickly they stepped up to interact with our homeless fellow citizens. They learned to use the survey tool adroitly, adapting to strange answers or no answers at all, understanding that the most important point was to get them counted. We started with a little lady living out of her car at the Walmart parking lot - a victim of domestic violence, although she wouldn’t characterize it that way, it was just a bad man living at her boyfriend's house who kicked her down some stairs and beat her. She was quite a talker, and we listened patiently to her story, which we could tell she wanted badly to share. As she went on about friends and family and hope for a commercial trucker’s license, I could see the light of recognition dawn - this wasn’t a “homeless person” - this was a human being.
And then three people - two men and a woman - sleeping under blankets in the sun on the side of a Subway store. I was pretty sure, based upon symptoms and behaviors - nodding off, slow speech, dusky skin, that the young woman was likely in the throes of fentanyl. Not overdosed, thankfully, but certainly dosed. They were so grateful for the bags of “goodies” - bus passes, hand warmers, Cliff bars - that we were able to hand out. Lindsey took it all in and did not falter. As they did the interviews, I was taken back to my first days of my nursing education, when I too began to learn the first principle of nursing: compassion. Nursing is caring.
The expert and professional way that they handled themselves despite being faced with this nearly unendurable suffering - out in the 24˚ chill with nowhere to go (there were no more beds available except for youth and domestic violence at the shelters that night) - brings hope to my heart for my profession. They did not turn away. As Lindsey said after our interactions with the first few people, “I’m glad I did this!” I’m glad as well, Lindsey.
Beyond simply assisting with the count, Lindsey made a profound impact by providing warmth, empathy, and a listening ear to those in need. She went above and beyond her role, taking the time to engage respectfully and compassionately with each individual she met. Her ability to make meaningful connections, build trust, and advocate for their needs was evident, as she not only addressed immediate health concerns but also offered emotional support and guidance to available resources. Her compassionate actions did not go unnoticed—one community member was so moved by her kindness and dedication that he personally honored her efforts by sending me an email.
Lindsey embodies the core values of the DAISY Award by demonstrating a commitment to compassionate care, fostering trusting relationships with patients, families, and peers, and passionately advocating for those who are often overlooked. She is a shining example of what it means to be a nurse—one who serves with heart, integrity, and an unrelenting drive to make a difference. I wholeheartedly support Lindsey for this well-deserved award and am confident that she will continue to bring comfort, care, and advocacy to all those she encounters throughout her nursing career.
***
I just had to write a note of commendation for Lindsey, one of the two WSU students I worked with yesterday for the Point In Time count.
As a nurse myself, I was moved to see how quickly they stepped up to interact with our homeless fellow citizens. They learned to use the survey tool adroitly, adapting to strange answers or no answers at all, understanding that the most important point was to get them counted. We started with a little lady living out of her car at the Walmart parking lot - a victim of domestic violence, although she wouldn’t characterize it that way, it was just a bad man living at her boyfriend's house who kicked her down some stairs and beat her. She was quite a talker, and we listened patiently to her story, which we could tell she wanted badly to share. As she went on about friends and family and hope for a commercial trucker’s license, I could see the light of recognition dawn - this wasn’t a “homeless person” - this was a human being.
And then three people - two men and a woman - sleeping under blankets in the sun on the side of a Subway store. I was pretty sure, based upon symptoms and behaviors - nodding off, slow speech, dusky skin, that the young woman was likely in the throes of fentanyl. Not overdosed, thankfully, but certainly dosed. They were so grateful for the bags of “goodies” - bus passes, hand warmers, Cliff bars - that we were able to hand out. Lindsey took it all in and did not falter. As they did the interviews, I was taken back to my first days of my nursing education, when I too began to learn the first principle of nursing: compassion. Nursing is caring.
The expert and professional way that they handled themselves despite being faced with this nearly unendurable suffering - out in the 24˚ chill with nowhere to go (there were no more beds available except for youth and domestic violence at the shelters that night) - brings hope to my heart for my profession. They did not turn away. As Lindsey said after our interactions with the first few people, “I’m glad I did this!” I’m glad as well, Lindsey.