Prior to discharge, a patient asked how Nurse Brianna could be acknowledged for being an excellent nurse and person. I provided him with the DAISY nomination form; however, the patient succumbed to his illness prior to completing the application. He made the following comments to me during my visits with him: “I want everyone to know Brianna is the best. She deserves any award they can give her. I will definitely fill this out for her. I have been in the hospital during all the holidays this year. She made New Year’s Eve so special while I was here. It was something simple, but she gave me the party hat and horn, and she celebrated with me. She has treated me better than anyone. Brianna went above and beyond to see me as a person, and not just as a patient. She was compassionate, caring, and I am just so thankful that she was one of the angels helping take care of me.

Brianna answers all my questions and I have a lot of questions. She took the time to explain things to me so I understand them. She treats me like I still matter…like I’m a human! I know I am not going to be here long, but I am here now, and she makes me feel important. I wish there were more nurses like her.”

In addition to the comments above from the patient, I witnessed Brianna’s compassion for him as she spoke about his needs. She requested for me to visit with him more often because he had been in the hospital for so long. She explained he has no family members outside and will be going to a room he rents for hospice. The patient suffers from claustrophobia and anxiety; Brianna made sure he could see through the window and kept his door open at all times. She communicated with his doctors about vital signs including asking for parameters in order to proactively treat the patient’s pain level while maintaining a stable blood pressure. This enabled her to set acceptable expectations and medication education that was easily understandable for the patient. She showed genuine concern for the patient in the hospital as well as with his discharge plan. These are just some of the reasons Brianna deserves this DAISY Award.