My husband was hospitalized for the second time in eight months. Any hospitalization is traumatic; as it alters not only the patient it alters those who love them. Being admitted was made less stressful knowing that we were being admitted to 2 Tower, the floor we had been admitted to in November. Here are a few examples of how Vanessa meets the DAISY award criteria:

Her natural energy and compassion. She got my husband to take his meds, she made it fun (he looked forward to seeing her). The caring way in which she teased him and made him smile. She also allowed him to have some control and therefore maintain his dignity (she would make effort to bring in his meds in a time frame that allowed a mini discussion and still get the meds in time).Also my husband came up with a reddened area on his buttocks that had become an open wound. The morning she found out, she took charge of the situation. She applied a special wound care dressing to the area and arranged for a special bed to relieve the pressure. Needless to say, the results were excellent. My husband also has dental problems, missing teeth, she ordered him a diet that enabled him to receive proper nutrition; a soft diet which improved his intake of food.

I slept at my husband's bedside and observed her obvious concerns for her patients and her enthusiasm for her job. Baptist Hospital is indeed fortunate to have this outstanding individual. We saw her frequently during her shifts. She was on 3 days and never did her attitude change, even on obvious busy days. She displays such energy and joy that is contagious and spreads to the patient and family.