Kerry MacIntosh
August 2022
Kerry
MacIntosh
,
RN
Emergency Department
Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital
Santa Barbara
,
CA
United States
Together these RNs were presenting these gifts to the patient on behalf of her “ED Family” to tell her they wished her a speedy recovery and were thinking of her.
DAISY Honorees at Cottage Health (CH) model empathy and demonstrate a caring attitude. They Demonstrate extraordinary delivery of compassionate patient care, have a positive attitude, and demonstrate professionalism in the work environment. They exemplify the mission, vision, and values of CH and establish a special connection with the patients and families. As CH launches its DAISY Award Program there is no finer example of these attributes than the extraordinary compassion Kerry Macintosh and Shannon Cook recently provided to one of our patients.
I am excited to share their nomination: I ran into Kerry and Shannon at the coffee cart one morning- Kerry was purchasing a box of See’s candies- I then saw Shannon right behind Kerry in line, purchasing a small arrangement of flowers and a card. When I commented on the candies and flowers, they told me that they were for one of the ED's frequent patients. This patient had some chronic conditions and presented to the ED for oxygen therapy almost every day; she also happened to be a homeless 75-year-old woman. The patient was always treated, provided a meal, and surrounded by caring ED staff before she was discharged “home”- which actually meant to her car or the streets.
Kerry and Shannon explained that this time, the patient had not been discharged, but was admitted to the telemetry unit. The candies were the soft chews because the patient had a sweet tooth but had dentation issues and the flowers and card were to brighten her room. Together these RNs were presenting these gifts to the patient on behalf of her “ED Family” to tell her they wished her a speedy recovery and were thinking of her.
This gesture of excellence, integrity, and compassion is an example of the exceptional care these RNs provide. The kindness to a vulnerable member of our community who has no support system or family to care for her was extraordinary. I was moved beyond words and was so grateful that these nurses are among the first to interact with our community- what a shining example of the human connection and extraordinary nursing.
I am excited to share their nomination: I ran into Kerry and Shannon at the coffee cart one morning- Kerry was purchasing a box of See’s candies- I then saw Shannon right behind Kerry in line, purchasing a small arrangement of flowers and a card. When I commented on the candies and flowers, they told me that they were for one of the ED's frequent patients. This patient had some chronic conditions and presented to the ED for oxygen therapy almost every day; she also happened to be a homeless 75-year-old woman. The patient was always treated, provided a meal, and surrounded by caring ED staff before she was discharged “home”- which actually meant to her car or the streets.
Kerry and Shannon explained that this time, the patient had not been discharged, but was admitted to the telemetry unit. The candies were the soft chews because the patient had a sweet tooth but had dentation issues and the flowers and card were to brighten her room. Together these RNs were presenting these gifts to the patient on behalf of her “ED Family” to tell her they wished her a speedy recovery and were thinking of her.
This gesture of excellence, integrity, and compassion is an example of the exceptional care these RNs provide. The kindness to a vulnerable member of our community who has no support system or family to care for her was extraordinary. I was moved beyond words and was so grateful that these nurses are among the first to interact with our community- what a shining example of the human connection and extraordinary nursing.