Sarah Johnstone, RN

On behalf of my Grandmother and family, we would like to nominate Sarah for a DAISY award. During my Grandmother’s admission, Sarah demonstrated excellent nursing practice that is full of empathy and compassion. My grandmother had a chest drain inserted during her admission and, afterward, required medical talc to be pushed through to prevent pleural effusion around her right lung. When my mother and I arrived on the ward, Sarah was midway through the consent process with our Grandmother for the talc procedure, and without hesitation, Sarah invited us to come over, and she briefly explained everything again that she had already explained to my Grandmother. This meant that, as a family, we had peace of mind and could manage our own expectations, but also that if my Grandmother had forgotten any information, we had also heard it and could repeat it back to her.

Sarah really took her time, going into such detail about the procedure itself, the reason for the procedure, potential risks and complications, what would happen afterward, etc, all with a lovely smile, a light sense of humour and the kind of compassion that you could only hope for a nurse to possess when caring for a beloved family member. Her clinical knowledge was excellent, providing detailed, evidence-based answers to all questions asked. Furthermore, my Grandmother wears hearing aids, and naturally, Sarah increased the volume of her voice without the need to be asked and also used visual cues to help explain some of the more complicated parts of the procedure.

Unfortunately, our grandmother experienced significant lung re-expansion pain following the initial chest tube insertion and drainage of the fluid that had collected; therefore, she was anxious about potential pain following the talc procedure. When asked about potential pain, Sarah was honest yet professional and ensured that sufficient analgesia was given prior to the procedure, as well as returning to my grandmother on the ward afterward to ensure that additional analgesia was also given and that my grandmother was comfortable. Sarah stayed by my Grandmother’s side during the talc insertion and talked her through the entire thing, providing constant reassurance and encouragement throughout.

I am a registered nurse myself and have witnessed many different approaches to nursing- Sarah truly impressed and left myself, my grandmother, and my mother feeling completely reassured during an anxiety-inducing time. Sarah is an absolute asset to the trust and a true representation of what excellent nursing care looks like. I would implore any nursing students or staff to observe Sarah if given the opportunity, as she is truly a beacon of positivity, a wonderful advocate for patients, and clearly a fantastic and competent clinician. Thank you, Sarah.