I would like to nominate Phoebe for the Daisy award. Phoebe is such a strong nurse on the unit. She always uses critical thinking and evidence-based practice when providing care. The story I want to share with you personifies Phoebe’s ability to connect with patients and build strong relationships. The patients we care for come from all walks of life with varying levels of support at home. One patient who recently suffered from a stroke had no support system. His only living relative was an estranged daughter in Germany. He relied on his primary care doctor to help him make decisions in the hospital, such as what rehabilitation facility to go to. The patient was a bit curt, but after some time we found out that he had a soft spot: his “little Roscoe.” Roscoe was a five-month-old puppy at home. The patient opened up that he had gotten the dog to help with his loneliness. The patient was so concerned the dog would end up at a shelter and he would never see him again. It was clear this dog was everything this man cared for in life. Then the full picture came to life. This man was admitted three days ago and is now gearing up to transfer to a rehabilitation facility. Roscoe had been alone for three days, no food, no water, no one to let him out or soothe this scared little puppy that only knew one person in life. When Phoebe heard about this, she quickly jumped in to help. She offered to watch the dog while the patient regained his strength. Phoebe picked the dog up in Oak Park and brought it into her home. Phoebe’s nursing instincts kicked in right away, even for the dog. First thing was to bathe him, as the poor guy had been stuck alone to defecate in the apartment and naturally was not in great shape. Phoebe even noticed the patient did not have his glasses, he had left them at home, so went so far as to pick those up when she got the dog and brought them to the patient (along with ample videos of a clean Roscoe playing with Moose, Phoebe’s dog).

Phoebe honestly changed this man’s life, at a time where he was at his lowest. She helped him with what truly mattered when he was unable to act himself. She gave him peace of mind as he moves to rehab, where he can now focus on his health and getting better so he can reunite with Roscoe, instead of worrying about what happened to his puppy or if he had been taken to the pound. Phoebe has such a big heart and this is one example for how she went above and beyond the call of duty as a nurse and truly made a difference in this patients life. It’s stories like these that make me proud to be a nurse.