The DAISY Award is a recognition for Extraordinary Nurses who demonstrate compassion toward patients and their families. Velvet is the true picture of compassion and nursing excellence. She understands that nursing is holistic and that it is important to meet the physiological as well as the psychological needs of her patients.

Velvet is an advocate for her patients and their families. She is a knowledgeable and compassionate team player who consistently exhibits and maintains the highest ethical standards of care. She always come to clinical prepared and ready to learn. When she is unfamiliar with certain skills, she takes time to educate herself. The care that I personally witnessed her providing to her patients was outstanding. Velvet is very forward and respectful in a way you don’t see a lot. It is clear that she loves what she does, especially during our NICU rotation; she brought so much passion and energy in caring for her neonatal patients. She effectively demonstrates the true meaning of patient/family partner and advocate.

In fact, Velvet even brought some gifts to the premature babies and had an edifying conversation with their parents, which I am sure was inspiring and reassuring to the patients’ families. It was moving to see how Velvet went above and beyond to meet her patients’ needs at the different clinical sites. Not only did she provide excellent nursing care to her patients and families, but she was also a great source of support to her peers. She always encouraged them and shared educational materials she found useful. Because of Velvet’s extraordinary nursing care, passionate advocacy, and selfless compassion, I nominate her for the DAISY Award.