Linda Illes, CCRN, was nominated for the DAISY Award by her coworker for her critical thinking and willingness to go above and beyond.

We use mouthwash daily for our patients and most would never think that a simple mouth wash could become a risk for an ICU patient who is ventilated. Linda and her coworker, Allison Paul, separately had examined the label on our mouth wash bottles and found a warning against usage with ventilated or Cystic fibrosis patients. Both nurses immediately brought it to the attention of their nurse manager. They took it a step further and began researching the product on the computer and found a recall that had been placed on the product a few years ago. This further prompted her to locate the MSDS sheet on the product. This was a product that had been recalled and new labeling was applied by the company and somehow escaped notice until these two diligent nurses took the additional steps to maintain a safe environment for their patients.

Recognizing that this not only affects their patient population but the entire hospital, they involved the Infection Control Department as well. Because of their critical thinking and willingness to go above and beyond, changes have been made to protect all patients.