Sami Olsen
July 2025
Sami
Olsen
,
RN
Labor & Delivery
PeaceHealth St. John Medical Center
Longview
,
WA
United States
One of the most compassionate things Sami did was surprise me and arrange for my grandpa to be brought to my room so I could see him one last time before he was discharged to hospice care.
I am honored to nominate Sami Olsen for the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses. I will always remember Sami's compassion, kindness, and dedicated care during the hardest days of my life. Sami truly went above and beyond.
While this was supposed to be one of the happiest times of my life, welcoming my first baby, I was also coping with a heartbreaking situation. My grandpa, who raised me, had been unexpectedly admitted to St. John after waking up disoriented. When I got his room, the doctor shared with me that cancer was all over his body, and he estimated that my grandpa only had one week to live.
I met with the social worker to talk about hospice options. I had only planned to leave his room for my scheduled NST appointment, but I did not pass my stress test, and I was admitted at 38 weeks to be induced.
From the very beginning, Sami provided exceptional care — not only medically, but emotionally. She saw me not just as a patient, but as a person going through both a birth and a loss at the same time. She talked to me about her own recent loss. I felt that Sami being my nurse was a divine intervention. That night, someone came to visit me and asked for me by my maiden name, and while Sami and I had never met, we learned that our grandfathers were cousins, and she also knew and loved my Grandpa R. She cried with me and told me stories of how my grandpa had been influential for her dad and was loved by them also.
Sami also reassured me that my grandpa had the best nurse ever, T, taking care of him. She would check on him throughout the night and give me updates.
She was supposed to be off work the following day, but picked up an extra shift, so I was very lucky to have her there continuously caring for me. One of the most compassionate things Sami did was surprise me and arrange for my grandpa to be brought to my room so I could see him one last time before he was discharged to hospice care. That moment meant more to me than words can express, and I never would have had that opportunity without her advocacy and coordination. This was the only time after he was admitted that he recognized me, and I later learned that this was the last lucid conversation he had with anyone. My grandpa passed away the day after my son was born, just two days after being admitted.
Sami created space for both joy and grief, and never once made me feel like a burden. Her empathy, presence, and care were exactly what I needed, and I will always remember her for it.
She exemplifies everything the DAISY Award represents — compassion, skill, and an unwavering commitment to her patients. I am deeply grateful she was by my side and extremely proud to work at PeaceHealth because we have incredible nurses like Sami.
While this was supposed to be one of the happiest times of my life, welcoming my first baby, I was also coping with a heartbreaking situation. My grandpa, who raised me, had been unexpectedly admitted to St. John after waking up disoriented. When I got his room, the doctor shared with me that cancer was all over his body, and he estimated that my grandpa only had one week to live.
I met with the social worker to talk about hospice options. I had only planned to leave his room for my scheduled NST appointment, but I did not pass my stress test, and I was admitted at 38 weeks to be induced.
From the very beginning, Sami provided exceptional care — not only medically, but emotionally. She saw me not just as a patient, but as a person going through both a birth and a loss at the same time. She talked to me about her own recent loss. I felt that Sami being my nurse was a divine intervention. That night, someone came to visit me and asked for me by my maiden name, and while Sami and I had never met, we learned that our grandfathers were cousins, and she also knew and loved my Grandpa R. She cried with me and told me stories of how my grandpa had been influential for her dad and was loved by them also.
Sami also reassured me that my grandpa had the best nurse ever, T, taking care of him. She would check on him throughout the night and give me updates.
She was supposed to be off work the following day, but picked up an extra shift, so I was very lucky to have her there continuously caring for me. One of the most compassionate things Sami did was surprise me and arrange for my grandpa to be brought to my room so I could see him one last time before he was discharged to hospice care. That moment meant more to me than words can express, and I never would have had that opportunity without her advocacy and coordination. This was the only time after he was admitted that he recognized me, and I later learned that this was the last lucid conversation he had with anyone. My grandpa passed away the day after my son was born, just two days after being admitted.
Sami created space for both joy and grief, and never once made me feel like a burden. Her empathy, presence, and care were exactly what I needed, and I will always remember her for it.
She exemplifies everything the DAISY Award represents — compassion, skill, and an unwavering commitment to her patients. I am deeply grateful she was by my side and extremely proud to work at PeaceHealth because we have incredible nurses like Sami.