In the past 2 years, my three brothers, sister, and I have experienced the loss of our parents. It's a transition period when you lose your parents that mysteriously brings siblings closer together and tend to look for each other's health and welfare even more. So, it was very concerning when our oldest brother was recently working out of state and admitted through the ED to 8 West. A serious infection meant surgery was eminent.
To understand our position a little better, you should know that my brother has never been in a hospital before, he is the only sibling that does not work directly or indirectly in a healthcare setting, he was approximately 8 hours away...he was alone and he was nervous. The infection was severe enough and deep enough that amputating a toe was quickly necessary. Once he made me aware of the situation, I knew this might be a challenge to get through. Those of us that work in healthcare settings can sometimes be the worst critics. However, if we do our own jobs properly then we can also tell when others do their jobs exceptionally. From the first time my brother and I spoke, he was slightly confused by all the things happening so quickly but he kept telling how well he was being treated. I would ask him a question and he would respond, "yes," they told me the answer to that," "yes, they have communicated that to me already," "yes, they told me when to expect surgery."
Treating people well and good communication is the baseline for a great hospital experience. My brother didn't have just a hospital stay in your facility, he had a very positive experience. He had no idea what to expect but he was first put at ease, then talked to in a way that he related, and then treated like he was at home. I've got to say that made the rest of us feel so comfortable that he was in good hands. This wasn't just myself, this was all the brothers and sisters who talked to him.
One nurse loaned him her own personal phone charger so he could text others. Four days later, I've heard about all the staff who stood out to him. I heard about all the little things each did to help him through this situation. I can't say thank you enough for everyone's thoughtfulness and kindness. However, it was Nurse Lisa Skraba that I must nominate for a DAISY Award.
Lisa worked back to back days during the most anxious days of pre-surgery to post-surgery. Lisa is the one I heard the most about. When my older brother uses words like compassionate, kind, patient, and caring, then I am confident this person is a true DAISY Nurse. Lisa made an impact on him, and Lisa made an impact on me and I never spoke to her. I was expecting to jump in a car and make a late-night drive to your facility until my brother said: "No, need to." I said, "Why do you say that?" "Because Lisa said everything is going to be just fine." Within a matter of a few hours, my brother developed a level of trust and confidence in his nurse that, we in healthcare, only strive to set as a norm. That was not a hospital stay. That was a hospital experience! Lisa impacted my brother but Lisa also impacted four others back in Southern Missouri and never knew it.
To me, the neat thing about The DAISY Award program is that it can give a nurse the opportunity to see they touch lives and never know it. They extend courtesy and care and respect to people beyond the person lying in the bed. It doesn't have to be an emergent, life-altering, highly dramatic moment that gets all the recognition. It can be the almost mundane situations when focused on the little things: battery charger, soft tone, compassionate gestures, "listen to my stupid joke" moments, that set people apart. In my humble opinion, Lisa Skraba is a DAISY Nurse for her excellence in personal nursing skills.