Over my lifetime, from the time I was twelve years old, I have had five major surgeries on my right hip, including a hip replacement and finally a hip revision. I was in the hospital and rehab for a total of almost four months after the hip revision and was able to leave only after I had gained the ability to get up out of my wheelchair and use crutches to walk seven steps across the sidewalk and get into a car. Needless to say, I have experienced excruciating pain over my lifetime. Nurses are some of my favorite persons because during all of my hospitalizations and rehabs from the time I was a child, outside of my wonderful mother, nurses have been the persons there most frequently during my hospital stays and it has been their extraordinary acts of kindness and their compassion which has added to my comfort and sense of well being and happiness.

I am delighted to say that all the nurses at Alamance Pain Clinic in Burlington, NC are first rate, compassionate, and wonderful. Nurse Sheila Brown has stood out among this group of first-rate nurses by her extraordinary caregiving, her compassion, and her spirit which has in itself been able to relieve some of my pain and lift my spirits significantly. Nurse Sheila Brown is always upbeat and positive. Nurse Sheila Brown served our great country in the military for many, many years, and her forever designation as a U.S. Veteran adds in every way to her merits and to her character as an American veteran and as someone who cares for her country and for her great fellow men and women of the United States Armed Forces.

Approximately three months ago, I came in for an appointment, and I was in excruciating pain. Nurse Sheila Brown, through her care and caring for patients, including me, lifted my spirits and transcendentally helped to relieve much of my pain that day. She has done this for me each and every time I have seen her when I go there. Some of her effectiveness is certainly her training but a great portion of it is also her natural caring for others and her compassion and ability to communicate in such a way that it in itself is medicine. I realize that her job requirements do not demand that she go so far beyond her job description as she demonstrates extraordinary acts of kindness and compassion, but she does.

Since I was a young boy, I have experienced wonderful nurses throughout my lifetime. Nurse Sheila Brown distinguished and set herself above the many other numerous and wonderful nurses I have had caring for me, through her clinical skills and expertise as well as her caring and communication skills, which have made such a significant and positive impact on my well-being which goes with me even after I leave the hospital. Nurse Sheila Brown makes everyone feel like more than just her patients, she helps us to feel like friends, which allows patients to be more open with her. When I saw her three months ago, I had not had a chance to eat that day. It was going towards two pm, and I could tell that my blood sugar was going low. I just mentioned that to Nurse Brown and she stopped everything immediately and told me that she would get me something to bring up my blood sugar and after suggesting items they had from cookies to drinks she immediately left and quickly returned with items, which indeed did bring my blood sugar back up. In ways large and small, Nurse Sheila Brown proves her love, dedication, commitment, clinical understanding, and person-to-person caring for all those who are blessed to have her as their nurse.

Nurse Brown had been so especially helpful to me that day that I asked someone how I could honor her for her outstanding abilities and contributions to me and to all the other patients whose lives and families and friends are made so much better by the improvement she offers to her patients which lifts their spirits and somehow helps relieve their discomfort, pain and the added debilitation which comes from living in constant sickness and/or constant pain. It is with great honor and high privilege that I nominate Nurse Sheila Brown from the Alamance Regional Pain Center for the DAISY Award due to her wonderful clinical skills, interpersonal relating, caring, and for the compassion she demonstrates to each and every patient with whom she interacts. Nurse Sheila Brown does this and stands out among a great collection of well-trained and wonderful nurses at the Alamance Regional Hospital Center. Someone whose clinical skills, compassion, attitude, and caring set her at the top of a group of nurses, all of whom are excellent.