"I became a nurse because it gave me a sense of purpose," explained Amelia Cormier, May's DAISY Award winner. "It's the kind of career that you can really make a difference to a person in need."
Anonymously nominated by a colleague, Cormier's ability to "always find a way to connect with her patients, and to go above and beyond to help," was one of the many reasons that her fellow nurse feels that Cormier exemplifies the nursing characteristics that the DAISY Award founders, the Barnes family, want to acknowledge. It's her "commitment to caring," that makes Cormier an exemplar of the nursing excellence at Dartmouth-Hitchcock.
Known as the quiet one on the floor, her nomination letter tells the story of a "truly unmanageable patient" who had scared all but Cormier away. She worked to get to know him and to make his stay as pleasant as possible. One night her colleague "was awestruck" to find him talking and laughing, while Cormier massaged his feet and back with warm lotion.
"Amelia will do whatever it takes to bring a smile and joy to someone's day," her colleague wrote. Her unit Nurse Manager concurs: "She is one of the most compassionate nurses, who takes no credit. She does anything to care for her patients."