Margaret Matthews exhibits all the qualities of a DAISY Nurse. She has contributed tirelessly to Nurses' Week activities for the last 10 years with her leadership in the Blood Drive efforts resulting in more than 100 units of blood many years. The "Blessing of the Hands" is another event important to her. She led collaborative efforts to plan and implement successfully. Margaret is a founding and continuing member of the night shift council. Her commitment and endless energy contributed to the council enduring through many changes in its formative years. In addition to her participation, she always brought a colleague with her to introduce them to the value of shared leadership. She often volunteered and mentored others to follow up on any issues identified by the night staff through a collegial process. She always advocates for the Best Care of our patients and our staff. She would challenge the status quo to achieve the right things for her colleagues. The Beacon Award for SICU was achieved through her leadership and perseverance. She is an active Magnet champion and coordinates recognition for staff for certification and is a member of the Clinical Ladder Review Panel for ICU and serves as a preceptor. Margaret goes above and beyond in our community as well as all the things she does here at UTMB. She is a site coordinator for Galveston food bank and Ambassador for AACN. Margaret is truly a DAISY Nurse.
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Hello Margaret,
I'm not sure if you know who I am but I certainly know who you are. I've been with staffing for almost 10 years on day shift and have given, or received report from you many times. Anyway, I wanted to share a very touching story with you. I was at a little holiday party last night and met an older woman who spoke highly of UTMB and particularly highly of you. You cared for her husband J earlier this month before he died of pneumonia. She explained that J had been transferred to ICU overnight and that you were his nurse. After receiving the late-night phone call and rushing to the hospital she felt a great sense of relief because as soon as she arrived she could tell that you were "running the show." She felt confident in your skills and she knew immediately that you were assertive and caring and that you would do everything possible to provide the best care for her husband. As I remember the story, he was in ICU for several nights. You cared for J the last night of his life. With tears in her eyes, she described the way you gently bathed her "beloved" husband and made him comfortable for the first time in days. She said once he was all tucked in you made space for her to join him in bed. She said at that moment she felt a love for YOU that she could never describe. You brought her so much comfort and she feels that the dignity and care he was given on his last day was the perfect ending to a vibrant and beautiful life. She feels that God showed his love and compassion through you and for that she will be eternally grateful. You were truly her angel. Kudos to you Margaret! I hope to inspire the same confidence in my patients and their families and leave a lasting impact on them just as you have.
Note: This is Margaret's 3rd DAISY Award!