I came to the Mayo Clinic with my elderly parents and my mildly handicapped sister, K. K is 48 years old and lives at home with my parents. She has worked at Publix for over 20 years, and she is beloved by her co-workers and customers, but issues with her spine were limiting her ability to walk and she was forced to take a leave of absence from work. Her condition was genetic, as my dad had the same issue and underwent surgery for it at Mayo, so we returned for the same surgery.

The surgery itself was a success, but two days later she experienced hypercapnic respiratory failure and underwent CPR. Following that event, she was in a non-drug-induced coma for 3 days, before finally awakening on a Friday. We came to Mayo because we knew it was the best medical facility in the World for spinal surgery. Little did we know that its ICU team would become more important to us than the surgical team. Anyone that’s ever stayed at a hospital knows that the reputation of the doctors brings patients in the door, but the performance of the nursing team drives patient satisfaction and keeps them coming back. During one of the most difficult seasons of our lives, when my sister’s life hung in the balance, the critical care team of the Mary Brigh 7D&E Specialty ICU worked around the clock 24/7 to care for K’s every need and to give her a fighting chance - not only to survive but to thrive. All of the doctors and therapists were knowledgeable, caring, and patient in their dealings with K and our family. They went out of their way to explain the prognosis and treatment options in a way that we understood them. They involved us in decision-making but guided us appropriately. Clearly, they are experts in their field and their reputations justifiably bring patients to this hospital. But it was the incredible care of the ICU nursing staff that made all the difference for my sister and our family. The ICU nursing team worked tirelessly around the clock to monitor her condition, and they cared for her every need. They worked hard when she first arrived in a non-drug-induced coma following CO2 levels that reached 120. At that time, we wondered if each new ventilator-supported breath would be her last. They worked hard for the next few days as K’s lungs fought to work on their own and her brain fought to wake up from a coma fog. And they continued to work hard as her body began to respond to commands, with her eyes opening, her face smiling, her limbs moving slightly, and her personality shining through.

My wife is a medically trained speech pathologist who works in a critical care hospital. She works closely with patients in the ICU and has the opportunity to observe the ICU nursing staff in her own hospital. We’re not taking anything away from her co-workers, who are dedicated professionals that provide great patient care, but she was blown away by the quality of nursing care that K received around the clock - shift after shift. We have had several family members spend time in ICU units around the country, so we have seen the care given at other hospitals, and we have always been satisfied. Critical care nurses seem to be of top quality in their profession. But the ICU nursing team that took care of K during her stay was by far the best we have ever experienced. Every time we met a new member of the nursing team, we anticipated that this must be where we finally experience the drop-off in care, but they seemed to give us the A-team. And I suspect that they did, because K was likely among the sickest of patients in the ICU during her stay.

We had amazing nurses on every shift. Each of them worked hard during their entire shift to take care of K, to closely observe her monitors, and to take careful notes. They patiently answered our questions and gave us hope when things seemed hopeless. We were amazed by the consistently high level of care. So why in particular is my family unanimous in our nomination of Tom Sherman for the DAISY Award? Because in almost every sport, the League MVP goes to the best player on the best team. On a team of incredibly high-performing doctors, therapists, specialists, and nurses, the ICU nursing team that took care of Kristen was the best team in the “ICU league”. And Tom Sherman was the unquestioned MVP of the ICU league’s best team. On a team full of ICU nurses that brought their “A-game” 98% of the time, Tom Sherman brought his A-game 100% of the time. Over four 12-hour shifts that we watched him perform, he never stopped working tirelessly to take care of K’s needs. I know it sounds cliché, but he went the extra mile at every turn. And he doesn’t only work hard, but he has a great rapport with the patients and their families. And he checks in on her and he checks in on us, even when he’s not on shift. He is kind, he is caring, he is compassionate, he is patient, he is smart, he is driven, he is hard-working, and he is quite simply the “best of the best.”

My family joins me in the sentiment expressed in this nomination, but in separate nominations of Tom, members of my family will be sharing their own perspectives on why Tom Sherman deserves the DAISY award.