I am nominating Maria Clow for the DAISY Award because I feel she possesses all of the qualities of an extraordinary nurse, and she displays these qualities every single day.
Above all, I feel Maria is a fierce advocate for her patients. When she has a concern about a patient or feels like one of their needs is not being met, she escalates these concerns and does not stop until they are addressed. She is so knowledgeable of the resources available at UWMC and utilizes those resources to ensure all aspects of care are taken into account for her patients. She makes a great effort to set up her patients to be successful. This includes making sure they have the supplies/equipment they need to be safe at home, having all of their questions/concerns addressed prior to discharge, and spending time explaining discharge teaching in a way they are easily able to understand. Patients often recognize and praise Maria for giving them exemplary care.
Maria always interacts so positively and professionally with her patients, their family members, and her colleagues. She goes out of her way to provide kudos to other interdisciplinary care team members and makes sure they are recognized for going above and beyond. Maria is great at providing positive feedback as well as utilizing teaching moments. She has always been an effective preceptor to new grad RNs, resource nurses, and experienced nurses on 4SE. She is very patient and understanding. Maria provides a calmness that allows those working with her to feel less stressed. That same calmness provides an environment for her patients to feel more at ease and relaxed during a vulnerable time in their lives.
Maria is an incredibly supportive coworker. She never hesitates to jump in and offer help, whether it is a quick transfer assistance or a more time-consuming task such as troubleshooting a drain. She is also a wonderful break buddy and has been seen on several occasions covering for breaks for more than one nurse at a time. She is a joy to work with every day. She has such a calm nature, especially in emergency situations. She manages complex patients with such grace. She is excellent at reducing the stress level of her anxious patients by giving them time to process information, explaining things calmly, and being supportive throughout their care. She is a great patient advocate and teacher.
I feel so fortunate to be able to work with Maria. It is clear that she is dedicated to the patients and staff members on 4SE through her never-ending hard work, strong clinical knowledge, and commitment to providing outstanding care each and every day. Maria is an excellent nurse who I have had the privilege of working with. She is wonderful to her patients and coworkers. She is always kind and respectful to all providers and staff which supports such a great team culture on 4SE. Maria is so deserving of this DAISY Award.