Linda Carranza, RN was nominated for the DAISY Award by a patient receiving a blood transfusion.
On April 22nd, Linda was my nurse as I received two pints of blood. This was a scary experience for me, as I had only received a call earlier in the hour, where I learned my hemoglobin was 6 and that I needed blood right away.
Linda was compassionate and caring, and perhaps more importantly, she spent time encouraging me to advocate for myself relative to my situation. To say that in doing so, she may have saved my life, is not an understatement.
Linda called me the following week to see how I was feeling and expressed sincere concern over learning that I had been diagnosed with multiple myeloma. She mentioned that it might be possible for me to have some of my chemo treatments locally; since she knew it would be more convenient for me than driving to Hillman Cancer Center.
Linda is truly an example of excellence in patient care. She is a credit to UPMC and her profession.