This Registered Nurse of 40 years has had a versatile career that propelled her to impact future generations of nursing. Anne Chadwick began as a bedside nurse in 1984, practising in a variety of roles such as clinical coach, charge nurse, assistant nurse manager, nurse manager, committee of policy and procedure, skin and wound committee and shared governance. During her tenure of service, she was nominated for Who’s Who of Nursing, The President’s Award, and a Brody Award Nominee.

After retirement, she returned to the bedside and also acts as an adjunct nursing instructor. Anne leads by example and always steps in and does what’s right to prevent harm from reaching a patient. She practices diligence with her students when she is in the nursing instructor role, inspiring them to think critically. This year, she was nominated for a safety catch while she was mentoring her students about IV anticoagulation. She noticed a patient’s Argatroban drip had been calculated incorrectly, and the patient was receiving a subtherapeutic dose, which could have been detrimental. Her prompt intervention prevented harm from reaching the patient and was a good testament to her students. Her attention to detail taught them why validating and verifying is vital in the nursing profession.

Anne exemplified true leadership throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. When her unit was transformed into a dedicated COVID sanctuary, caring exclusively for critically ill COVID-19 patients, she rose to the challenge with unwavering commitment and compassion. During this difficult time, ancillary staff were frequently reassigned to the unit to assist and were understandably fearful of caring for such critically ill patients. She led by example, donning her protective gear each day and stepping forward without hesitation to provide exceptional care. In the absence of family visitation, staff became the only source of comfort for patients in their final moments. Anne was always present and jumped in to hold a hand or offer comfort for a patient as they took their last breath.

In 2023, Anne helped pilot a new quality initiative in the unit, and her work directly impacted performance improvement. From October 2022 to May 2023, the overall CLABSI rates for her unit were 11, and in conjunction with nursing leadership, quality and infection control, this RN helped drive change. She did a PDSA Cycle and was the designated nurse for the CVL team, and every Thursday she changed all CVL dressings, CAPS and assessed tubing and peripheral IVs. During this time, there were zero CVL infections, improved maintenance of CVL dressings, and nursing leadership has now implemented an official CVL team.

Anne is an exemplary DAISY Lifetime Achievement Award recipient for so many reasons, but most importantly because of her values and her nursing expertise. Last year, there was an elderly gentleman standing in the middle of the hallway looking lost and broken. His wife, after decades of marriage, was dying, and he didn’t think he could live without her. He had just made the difficult decision to transfer her to palliative care, and he broke down crying in the middle of the unit. Anne was walking by and saw him and immediately jumped in to help him. She listened with compassion and empathy; she hugged him fiercely, never letting go until he was ready. This wasn’t even her own patient, and she treated him like family, offering her support and guidance, crying alongside him. Kindness and compassion of this nature cannot be taught, and Anne practices it daily with her patients, their families and her students.