There are multiple reasons why Missy is a DAISY Nurse. Before she transitioned into her most recent role, we were colleagues on the transplant unit. Missy Albert had worked on the Transplant unit for many years where she was an integral part of the team. Through the years, she took on different roles like orienting new staff and was a preceptor to nursing students. She started having a reputation as a fun ‘mama bear.’ Missy is an energetic, funny, compassionate, caring nurse who is always looking out for patients like they are family and does the same for her work family.

One week there was a patient with very impaired liver function after his transplant who required a thoracentesis in IR due to a large pleural effusion that made it very difficult for him to breathe. He, unfortunately, crashed on the night shift bleeding into his thoracic cavity resulting in a very difficult code. This patient’s nurse was a new grad with limited experience. Missy stepped in and assisted the new grad acknowledging that it was her first code and made sure she felt supported. The code was the worst we had seen on our unit in a long time, but the new grad nurse had a great mentor and assistance from Missy from assessment assistance to documentation. Missy helped communicate with the team, provided care, supported the nurse, and helped debrief.

I recently gave birth to my first child and had the honor of having Missy as my nurse on the postpartum floor where she currently works. She shined and was an amazing “mama bear.” I can honestly say I was clueless about what to expect after giving birth and caring for a newborn. I felt like people might expect me to know what I was getting into as a nurse myself, but I was out of my domain and my husband felt so lost. I had to have an emergency c-section; there was pain, emotions, fatigue, and this new wonderful responsibility. The day we had Missy she not only provided excellent nursing care, but she was wonderful at teaching us so many things about caring for our son. She was attentive to my physical needs; was gentle on my tender abdomen, ensured I was not bleeding too much and provided us so much valuable education. I felt comfortable saying “I don’t know what I am doing” to her. She was immensely helpful in guiding us and empowering us to care for our son. My husband who was also overwhelmed said she was a breath of fresh air, and he felt more reassured with baby care.

Missy continued to be a resource for us even after we were discharged. I was able to reach out for breastfeeding care and pumping assistance. It’s clear Missy has made a huge impact on her colleagues and patients and deserves to be honored with this award.

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Missy provided us with exceptional care during our postpartum stay. When I first came to Missy, I was sleep-deprived, bleeding, and tearful. She supported me and made our experience a dream come true. It’s so important to create a bond with your nurses and feel like they are in your corner. Missy was wonderful and we are so thankful for her!