The Pediatric Vascular Access Team is a phenomenal group of people who deserve way more recognition than they receive! This group of nurses works non-stop for hours, placing PICC lines, Arterial lines, and peripheral IVs in children of all ages and sizes. Even if it's for a difficult blood draw, they are here for us. From the smallest neonate to the largest teenager, they are experts in what they do and have helped thousands of patients in their 20 years as an established team. They are called constantly for their services and never turn anyone away, even if that means staying at the hospital until midnight. They are on call at night to support the NICU and are even called to other facilities, such as Baptist South. They go above and beyond for each other and for our patients and families. I can't tell you how many times I have heard them talking to each other on Vocera about all the tasks they are required to complete in a day. Without complaint, they work together and figure out how to get everything accomplished. They think critically and prioritize to make sure those tasks are completed in a timely manner. They have an extremely difficult job and I'm always in awe of the work they do. They miss meals and breaks in order to put our patients first. They are strong, smart, dedicated, understanding, flexible, professional, and respectful to everyone they come in contact with. They have experienced many trials and heartbreaks over the last year but have remained strong and united regardless of the battles they have fought and continue to fight. I cannot say enough great things about this team. They deserve more than ever to be celebrated and congratulated for the work they do. 

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I would like to nominate the Wolfson Vascular Access team for the DAISY Team Award.  This group deserves this award.  This team works many long hours helping nurses and patients with the most difficult line placements.  They are constantly being pulled in different directions to help patients from the OR and NICU to the teenage patients we care for.  They never complain, and even when they don't seem to have enough hours in the day to complete all the tasks they have to do, they manage to complete them all. I personally witnessed our ANM calling them one day to place an IV in a neonate patient who had been stuck twice by the staff trying to get the IV. The patient was going to the OR the next day, and the patient needed fluids.  They had a very large workload that day, but the baby needed the IV. The Vascular Access nurse explained how many patients she had to see, and it was getting close to the end of her shift.  When she learned the neonate was being placed NPO, she told the nurse to have everything ready, and that she would run to the unit and get an IV placed before her next patient.  This is the type of passion they have for the patients we care for. Last year was a tough year for Wolfson and the Vascular Access team due to the loss of a dear friend and co-worker who was a part of this great team and one of the original members of the PICC team.  During such a sad time they continued on taking care of the patients they need to see every day. They remained united in order to take care of their patients even though each one of them was grieving. This team is a strong group of nurses with incredible skills This team deserves the DAISY Team Award.

Congratulations Vascular Access Nurses and many thanks for all you do for our patients, families & team members!