Kristen Paliani
December 2025
Kristen
Paliani
,
BSN, RN
Cardiac Services
Rochester General Hospital
Rochester
,
NY
United States
Because of Kristen's involvement, the family ultimately felt comfortable enough to go home and rest - something they had not been able to do previously.
I would like to nominate Kristen, our Director of Nursing, for the DAISY Award in recognition of the extraordinary compassion, leadership, and dedication she demonstrated for one particularly challenging family over the past week.
This family had endured a series of unfortunate events that resulted in multiple hospitalizations, significant miscommunication, and growing frustration. By the time the patient was admitted to our unit, the family had lost confidence in the healthcare system and was understandably anxious, overwhelmed, and fearful. From the very beginning, Kristen stepped in to support both the family and the care team as they navigated an exceptionally complex medical situation.
Kristen took immense pressure off the nursing staff by coordinating communication among multiple providers, encouraging collaboration, and motivating timely clinical decision-making. Her leadership directly contributed to expediting the patient's discharge, allowing the family to be home together for Christmas - something that had previously felt impossible to them.
She made herself available at all hours, answering late-night phone calls from the family, addressing their concerns with patience and empathy, and ensuring issues were communicated and resolved immediately between nursing and provider teams. Her presence reassured both the family and staff, fostering trust during a time of high stress.
Because of Kristen's involvement, the family ultimately felt comfortable enough to go home and rest - something they had not been able to do previously. On Christmas Eve, Kristen devoted her entire afternoon to ensuring the discharge was successful. She personally provided patient education, gathered necessary supplies, and reassured the family that they were prepared and would be okay once home.
Kristen's actions went far beyond her role as a Director of Nursing. She embodied the true spirit of the DAISY Award through her compassion, advocacy, availability, and dedicated support of both patients and staff. She made a lasting impact on this family's experience and was an incredible source of support for our entire team.
This family had endured a series of unfortunate events that resulted in multiple hospitalizations, significant miscommunication, and growing frustration. By the time the patient was admitted to our unit, the family had lost confidence in the healthcare system and was understandably anxious, overwhelmed, and fearful. From the very beginning, Kristen stepped in to support both the family and the care team as they navigated an exceptionally complex medical situation.
Kristen took immense pressure off the nursing staff by coordinating communication among multiple providers, encouraging collaboration, and motivating timely clinical decision-making. Her leadership directly contributed to expediting the patient's discharge, allowing the family to be home together for Christmas - something that had previously felt impossible to them.
She made herself available at all hours, answering late-night phone calls from the family, addressing their concerns with patience and empathy, and ensuring issues were communicated and resolved immediately between nursing and provider teams. Her presence reassured both the family and staff, fostering trust during a time of high stress.
Because of Kristen's involvement, the family ultimately felt comfortable enough to go home and rest - something they had not been able to do previously. On Christmas Eve, Kristen devoted her entire afternoon to ensuring the discharge was successful. She personally provided patient education, gathered necessary supplies, and reassured the family that they were prepared and would be okay once home.
Kristen's actions went far beyond her role as a Director of Nursing. She embodied the true spirit of the DAISY Award through her compassion, advocacy, availability, and dedicated support of both patients and staff. She made a lasting impact on this family's experience and was an incredible source of support for our entire team.