When I think of an honorable and inspiring nurse and a career that I would emulate, Susan Gaunt immediately comes to mind. She is the embodiment of care, compassion, and dedication; it is simply in her DNA. Her dedication to the nursing field is unmatched. I cannot think of a single more deserving recipient of the DAISY Lifetime Achievement Award.

Susan began her career in healthcare over 38 years ago in the Gwinnett Hospital system back when it was Button Gwinnett and Buford General. She has held many titles such as a volunteer, patient care tech, med/surg nurse, ICU nurse, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Advance Practice Nurse, and most recently, Stroke Program Coordinator. She has forged relationships with peers, leaders, physicians, and the community that have a lasting impact on the way we view nursing and patient care.

One of her most distinguished accomplishments and how many have come to know her is through her leadership in the Stroke Program from its inception. Her dedication to stroke care delivery has positively impacted nursing and the community of Gwinnett. She has built a program that other facilities strive to achieve, not only for its award-winning quality but also for its longevity. Under Susan’s leadership and guidance, the program has won countless awards over the years, too numerous to name them all, but including multiple years of American Heart Association’s Target Stroke: Honor Roll Elite Plus and Coverdell Acute Stroke Door to Needle Time Award. Through her work with the program, she has forever changed the way stroke patients are cared for in our community. Her dedication goes beyond inpatient stroke care as she is a true advocate in community events to educate, screen, and help prevent strokes before they happen. A great program has never been good enough for Susan; she continues to advocate for stroke patients by pushing the envelope. She has developed strong relationships with community first responders and other hospitals to ensure care delivery across the continuum is top-notch. Patients that need advanced stroke care can receive seamless, efficient, and quality treatment at other facilities to improve stroke outcomes for our community, due to her leadership. In summary, stroke care would not be where it is today in Gwinnett if it were not for Susan Gaunt.

But professional accolades are not the only thing that distinguishes Susan above all others. Her professional and personal character have set her apart. When asked by her peers what differentiates Susan from other nurses, words like caring, knowledgeable, impactful, compassionate, empathetic, supportive, kind, and grace are used. Others have said, “I want to be like Susan when I grow up” and “If I am half as smart as Susan, I consider myself blessed”. One person described her as “a truly remarkable person, someone I look up to and strive to be every day.” In my years working in healthcare, I can honestly say that I have never encountered a more selfless and kindhearted person than Susan. In 2020, she was awarded the Jay and Rekha Compassionate Care Award for her outstanding personal qualities and professional achievements. Again, not a more deserving person than Susan.

While I know I have not done Susan justice in this writing, I hope that I have conveyed to you how important Susan has been in my career and others in the nursing field but most importantly to the patients of Northside Hospital Gwinnett and the community we serve. Her legacy will live on in every nurse here at Gwinnett when a Stroke 4 is called ensuring door-to-needle times remain flawless, when a nurse is providing care in those critical first 24 hours, and when a nurse is providing stroke education to her patient, and when a nurse is helping her stroke patient mobilize for the first time, and lastly when a nurse is discharging her stroke patient home. My career has forever been changed because of her. She is so very deserving of the DAISY Lifetime Achievement Award and so much more. I wish her continued blessings in her journey in healthcare as I know her selfless work is not done.