Meg Darre, RN

During an early morning speech therapy appointment, one of our laryngectomy patients experienced a life-threatening airway emergency. Meg arrived before the start of her shift and was the only nurse in the clinic at that time. As usual, she put the patient first, and marshalled the resources necessary to ensure that the patient got the care that she needed. There were no surgeons in clinic, so Meg contacted several surgeons and efficiently arranged for one of them to take the patient to the OR as a class A to stabilize the situation. Meghan personally escorted the patient to the ED, where she further ensured that the patient was appropriately monitored before going to surgery. Since the ED personnel were less than comfortable with the acuity of the situation and the patient’s unique airway anatomy, Meg provided guidance to them until the patient could be transferred to the OR. On that day, Meg embodied Ochsner’s core values: Patients first, integrity, compassion, inclusivity, excellence, and teamwork. She is most deserving of the DAISY Award.