I am not quite certain when I first met Marianne.  I know she did not work downtown with me at Saint Joseph's Infirmary, which became Saint Joseph's Hospital when the Infirmary moved to its current location.  I met Marianne some time later, after she began working for SJH.  I would categorize Marianne's professional nursing career as one of innovation.  She was at Rush in Chicago with Luther Christman during the refinement of the Rush Model of Nursing, and while there, developed her commitment to gender and racial diversity in nursing.  A noteworthy item about her earliest days at Saint Joseph's was that she was one of the nurses chosen to interview Tim Porter-O'Grady and Sharon Finnigan who would become our Co-Directors of Nursing, thus Marianne was one of the nurses that collaborated with other team members to implement the first large-scale, successful shared governance model.  She was among the first Clinical Nurse Specialists at SJH.  In fact, she precepted many CNS students who later worked at EUH.  She wrote a guide to facilitate nurses' understanding of lab results.  When SJH implemented a nurse case management model, Marianne was among the first case managers selected to implement the role of the Case Manager for patients with renal and respiratory disease.  She developed novel care pathways, sharing them with colleagues at Crawford Long (as it was then) and EUH.  Significant decreases in average length of stay, and improved patient experience, and decreased unplanned readmissions within 30 days were noted with the population of patients she followed.  She engaged with other team members in creating SJH's first Magnet Document and a part of its first designation in 1995, as the third designated hospital and the 1st community hospital Magnet designated.  If you give Marianne a problem, she can figure out a solution.  I am certain, though, that of all Marianne's roles, her favorite role now is that of grandmother. 

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I am honored to nominate Marianne Baird for the DAISY Lifetime Achievement Award.  With over 40 years of dedicated practice, Marianne's reputation as a compassionate advocate for patients, families, nurses, and all healthcare personnel is well-known.  Her journey with Emory Healthcare began when Emory acquired Saint Joseph's Hospital, and her impact has been profound ever since.  Marianne's career has been marked by her roles as a direct care nurse, a critical care clinical nurse specialist, and case manager.  In her direct patient-care roles, Marianne consistently placed patients and families at the center of care, ensuring her critical care practice was evidence-based.  Marianne has shared her extensive critical care nursing experience with nurses and nursing students in an award-winning critical care textbook she edited.  Her dedication to lifelong learning is evident through her participation in numerous nursing research studies across the Emory Healthcare System.  Marianne has always upheld the highest ethical standards in her work.  She led the Saint Joseph's ethics committee and continues to serve on the Emory Decatur Operating Unit ethics consult team, demonstrating her commitment to ethical practice.  Her expertise in professional governance in nursing and healthcare is unparalleled, having worked directly with Tim Porter O'Grady early in her career and continuously looking to expand nurses' ownership of their practice. Marianne has mentored countless nurses and other healthcare professionals, guiding them in designing and engaging with professional governance.  Her leadership as an ANCC Magnet Program Director and ANCC Magnet Appraiser has been instrumental in achieving and maintaining Magnet designation for several Emory Healthcare hospitals, including Emory Decatur and Emory Long Term Acute Care, most recently.  Beyond her professional achievements, Marianne is a passionate advocate for the well-being of nurses and healthcare workers.  She has been actively involved in numerous well-being initiatives, including peer mentoring and teaching the Community Resiliency Model to healthcare staff, all to ensure nurses and other healthcare professionals provide the same high level of care to themselves as they do to their healthcare clients.  I have had the privilege of knowing Marianne since 2012.  She has been my role model, coach, mentor, counselor, and friend. Like many, many other nurses, I have grown significantly as a nurse and as a person directly because of Marianne Baird. Marianne embodies the spirit of a DAISY Nurse and truly deserves the DAISY Lifetime Achievement Award. 

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Marianne is an exceptional colleague who is always willing to mentor and support others in their development.  As an experienced MPD and Magnet program appraiser, she has been generous with her time and expertise in supporting me as a new MPD to develop my knowledge base and competencies through detailed explanations and specific examples to support my learning.  She is quick to respond to questions related to the Magnet program/standard, and, despite being incredibly busy on DOU's Magnet journey, she always replies with genuine interest in helping.  Marianne's collaboration with and contributions to the MPD group and our work reflect her strong commitment to being part of a successful team.  It is a sincere pleasure to work with her!