October 2020
Priscilla
Vorce
,
RN
2 Tower
Baptist Hospital of Miami
Miami
,
FL
United States
I find most befitting that the DAISY Foundation would have chosen a daisy flower to represent its organization. Its strong, long-reaching stem, brilliant center, and soft extending petals, uniquely capture some of the finest characteristics of extraordinary caregivers.
My father was pronounced dead at 1509. I normally visited him in the evenings, though on this particular day, I decided to see him earlier. I arrived at 1510, one minute later, only to find roughly twenty or so medical professionals gathered around, gazing into his room in awe.
Seeing my bewildered expression as I approached the crowded hallway, Nurse Vorce immediately took hold of me, confirmed who she feared I was and proceeded to make sense of what had occurred.
Looking back at the moment, what struck me most interesting was that of all the people there, Priscilla was the very first to take notice of me. Then, as I stood near my father's room and watched in dismay over his lifeless body, she stood right by my side and never let go. Though I was rigid at first, her warmth and compassion embraced me, and I soon felt a sense of calmness and tranquility. She made me feel that "everything would be ok."
A later challenge for me would be to explain to my brother what happened. Although having been through a similar experience with our late mother, this would still not be an easy feat. To say the least, he was distraught, though upon Priscilla meeting him, she welcomed my brother with open arms, embracing his pain and comforting him. Then, with so many questions on his mind, she patiently recounted the events leading up to my father's death and eased my brother's distress.
To my surprise, Priscilla later shared with me that this was her first "Code Blue," and how taken back she was by the experience. However, one would have never known this to be the case, judging from her calm demeanor, display of strength, and most positive attitude.
As I reflect upon the events that transpired that day, she truly made a difference in my father's life and ours. I consider her an angel sent to us from above, where she cared for my father in his last days, comforted him and eased his suffering, and even made him smile. Then, in a moment of darkness and despair for his family, she shone her brilliant light upon us, strongly reached over, extended her soft open arms, and offered peace and comfort; much like a daisy.
The DAISY Award aims to reward and celebrate the extraordinary clinical skills, compassionate care, and exemplary display of professionalism by nurses. Nurse Vorce exemplified this through her keen sense of awareness to analyze her surroundings and the skillset to understand and respond accordingly, from providing an exceptional patient experience to supporting resuscitation efforts in a time of crisis to taking immediate notice and comforting family members in their moment of pain and sorrow.
My father was pronounced dead at 1509. I normally visited him in the evenings, though on this particular day, I decided to see him earlier. I arrived at 1510, one minute later, only to find roughly twenty or so medical professionals gathered around, gazing into his room in awe.
Seeing my bewildered expression as I approached the crowded hallway, Nurse Vorce immediately took hold of me, confirmed who she feared I was and proceeded to make sense of what had occurred.
Looking back at the moment, what struck me most interesting was that of all the people there, Priscilla was the very first to take notice of me. Then, as I stood near my father's room and watched in dismay over his lifeless body, she stood right by my side and never let go. Though I was rigid at first, her warmth and compassion embraced me, and I soon felt a sense of calmness and tranquility. She made me feel that "everything would be ok."
A later challenge for me would be to explain to my brother what happened. Although having been through a similar experience with our late mother, this would still not be an easy feat. To say the least, he was distraught, though upon Priscilla meeting him, she welcomed my brother with open arms, embracing his pain and comforting him. Then, with so many questions on his mind, she patiently recounted the events leading up to my father's death and eased my brother's distress.
To my surprise, Priscilla later shared with me that this was her first "Code Blue," and how taken back she was by the experience. However, one would have never known this to be the case, judging from her calm demeanor, display of strength, and most positive attitude.
As I reflect upon the events that transpired that day, she truly made a difference in my father's life and ours. I consider her an angel sent to us from above, where she cared for my father in his last days, comforted him and eased his suffering, and even made him smile. Then, in a moment of darkness and despair for his family, she shone her brilliant light upon us, strongly reached over, extended her soft open arms, and offered peace and comfort; much like a daisy.
The DAISY Award aims to reward and celebrate the extraordinary clinical skills, compassionate care, and exemplary display of professionalism by nurses. Nurse Vorce exemplified this through her keen sense of awareness to analyze her surroundings and the skillset to understand and respond accordingly, from providing an exceptional patient experience to supporting resuscitation efforts in a time of crisis to taking immediate notice and comforting family members in their moment of pain and sorrow.