CHI Memorial Nurses Receive DAISY Award For Extraordinary Nurses

CHI Memorial recently honored several of its nurses with the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses.

Clarissa Boyer, BSN, RN, CBCN, breast cancer nurse navigator at the MaryEllen Locher Breast Center, received the monthly DAISY recognition award. Clarissa was nominated for compassion and efforts to help a patient who faces health and social challenges. “Clarissa displays the true essence of going above and beyond in caring for
this patient… This patient is extremely vulnerable and [Clarissa] works tirelessly to ensure this patient receives equitable and quality health care despite all of the challenges,” the nominator said.

Ella Bresee, RN, cardiac intensive care unit, received the DAISY Champion Award. A champion is someone who works especially hard to make a DAISY program meaningful for the nurses and successful for the organization. “Ella dedicates time monthly to sort through all DAISY nominations and sends them to the Nurse Professional Development and Recognition Council… Ella sent all stories to the nursing units so every nurse who received a nomination can be recognized… Ella is a huge advocate and champion of the DAISY program,” her nominator said.

Karen Frank, DNP, RN, market director of quality, received the DAISY Award for Nurses Advancing Health Equity. This award honors nurses whose work advances health equity, mitigating health disparities that are caused by social determinants of health. “[Karen] is a voice for our mental health addled population… She is a voice for
our sexual assault victims who arrive in the emergency department… She is a voice for our addicted patients… She is a voice for our suicidal patients… Karen shows no favoritism toward any one person and simply wishes to see the best in everyone,” her nominator said.

Brian Kilgo, RN, Hospital Georgia charge nurse, received the DAISY Nurse Leader Award. This award shines a light on those who do not typically have direct patient care as part of their work and those who create an environment where compassionate, skillful care thrives. “Brian is always approachable and in good spirits. He will always jump in and help staff with critical patients and when the emergency department is busy. When you go to him with a problem, you know it will be solved… The staff works harder knowing they have Brian to support them,” his nominator said.

Robin George, BSN, RN, population health coach, received the DAISY Lifetime Achievement Award. This award recognizes nurses who have devoted their life's work to the compassionate care of others. “[Robin] has worked at CHI Memorial for more than 25 years in multiple roles including in the surgery department, infection control,
employee health and as a health coach… She has gentleness and an approach of kindness. She is professional to coworkers, leaders, patients and caregivers. She seeks to learn and grow as a nurse and has led several projects to improve patient care,” said her nominator.

The staff on 500 South, a medical-surgical unit at CHI Memorial Hospital Chattanooga, received two nominations from a patient and a family member for the DAISY Team Award. This recognizes that while an idea to achieve better patient and family outcomes may start with one individual, it often takes an entire team to implement successfully. A patient’s spouse wrote, “In the midst of this hospitalization, we met a team of angels of mercy! If it had not been for the nurses and techs who took care of us on 500 South, I would have lost my mind. We were treated with nothing by kindness, compassion and dedication to excellence. This compassionate care is something we will never forget.”

Another nomination from a patient said, “There isn’t one person that I have dealt with who did not provide the most excellent, compassionate care. From the moment I was transferred to Memorial… I knew this staff cares about me! They made me feel safe during a very terrifying time as they used their knowledge to provide care to me and demonstrated such compassion and patience.”

"CHI Memorial is pleased to partner with the DAISY Foundation to recognize the extraordinary difference nurses make in the lives of patients and co-workers," officials said. "Nurses are chosen each month to receive this wonderful award that honors compassionate care. Honorees receive a bouquet of daisies, a certificate, a copy of her/his nomination letter and a beautiful and meaningful sculpture called A Healer’s Touch - hand-carved by
artists of the Shona Tribe in Africa. The honoree's nursing unit also receives a cinnamon doughnut party, because it takes a team for a nurse to achieve his/her best. Tasty Doughnuts generously donates the treats for this worthy cause."