DAISY Award nominees from left to right: Brandi Welch, RN; Dawn Roper, RN; Katie Moore, RN, FNP; Melissa Myers, RN; Vickie Martin, RN; Linda Hoefsmit, RN; Dana Hill, RN; Audrey Hedden, BSN, RN and not pictured, Stephanie Forbess, BSN, RN
Erlanger Murphy Medical Center and the Nurse Professional Practice Council honored nine outstanding nurses through the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses ceremony on Nov. 5.
The DAISY Award is a national award to honor nurses who define patient and family centered care. Audrey Hedden, BSN, won the 2018 DAISY Award for "her dedication to providing comprehensive care extending beyond medical needs to her patients." The eight other nominees were Stephanie Forbess, BSN; Dana Hill, RN; Linda Hoefsmit, RN; Vickie Martin, RN; Melissa Myers, RN; Katie Moore, RN, FNP; Dawn Roper, RN; and Brandi Welch, RN.
"All of the nurses were recognized with stories detailing their outstanding patient-centered care they continuously provide," officials said. "Ms. Hedden was honored for her extraordinary effort to ensure that a homeless patient was well taken care of after discharge. She gathered supplies, food and even a new backpack for the patient, so that his needs could still be met even after his discharge. Her compassion and serving heart earned her this year’s DAISY Award."
The DAISY Foundation was created in 1999 after Patrick Barnes passed away from Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura. His family wanted a way to honor him and show appreciation for the nurses’ compassion and kindness they extended to the whole family during his eight-week stay in the hospital. DAISY was born from his wife, Tena’s, imagination standing for Diseases Attacking the Immune System and through this the award for Extraordinary Nurses was created.
Erlanger Murphy CEO Mark Kimball with DAISY Award winner Audrey Hedden and Chief Nursing Officer Teresa Bowleg, MSN, RN