Sonia was selected to receive the DAISY Award for her outstanding work in recognizing and training the staff in her unit in Trauma-Informed Care with a Family-Centered Approach. Sonia is recognized as an innovative, patient, and kind leader, which she made evident in her academic work at USF and her professional interactions at all times with USF faculty and peers. 

Sonia portrays nursing innovation and leadership. She saw a need and recognized the deep fear of the parents of her NICU patients. She also recognized the immense pressure on nursing staff to help manage this fear, which can manifest as anger, sadness, or irritability. 

Sonia found an evidence-based therapeutic communication style to apply to her unit. By developing and implementing this project, Sonia is changing the experiences of her nursing staff and their patients' parents. 

We want to recognize Sonia for “changing the health of the world from where she is” and how she is applying the Jesuit values of cura personalis (care for the whole person) and cura apostolica (care for the entire project/situation)!