DAISY Award
DAISY Team Award Winners - Hospital
Interventional Radiology
2025
From the nomination:
In the Interventional Radiology (IR) department, there was a patient who had become a familiar face, visiting two to three times a week for routine outpatient procedures. The nursing staff had developed a bond with this patient over the years, providing care not only for his medical needs but also for his sense of comfort and well-being. It was a relationship built on trust, one that had grown with each appointment. Then one day, something changed. The patient, who had always been alert and engaged, arrived visibly altered, distant, unresponsive, and barely able to communicate. A wave of concern rippled through the team. This was not the patient they had known for years. It was easily identified that something wasn't right. As the hours passed, the nursing staff worked diligently to assess the situation, trying to find answers. Their suspicions grew after realizing the patient's caregiver had dropped him off with no contact information to reach out to, no way to understand what was happening. The nursing staff realized this was no ordinary visit — it was a cry for help that demanded a response beyond the usual scope of care. Recognizing the gravity of the situation, they took the necessary steps of calling in social work, a decision not often made for routine outpatient visits. What they uncovered was heartbreaking. The patient had been abandoned at home, left outside for an entire weekend, exposed to the elements without food, water, or any form of care. In those hours of isolation, he had suffered. But, thanks to the intervention of social work, relatives were contacted for assistance. They arrived to provide the care and support the patient so desperately needed, ensuring that he could return to his normal routine. Despite the hardships he faced, the IR nursing team continued to care for him, offering their expertise and compassion on his frequent visits. They were there for him, every step of the way, until his passing. This story is more than just one of medical care; it is a testament to the profound impact that the nursing staff can have, both within the confines of their department and beyond. It underscores how, with vigilance and empathy, a team of caregivers can change the course of a person's life and in this case, offer a measure of dignity in the face of profound neglect.
Surgical Intensive Care Unit
2019
From the nomination:
An elderly couple was admitted to the SICU following a car accident. Their 70th wedding anniversary was approaching. With the husband and wife in separate areas, they frequently asked about each other.
After a few weeks, both patients began to decline. The staff played “musical beds” and moved the couple into an area together, turning the beds so they could see each other. The husband continued to tell his wife he loved her. Later that night the wife passed away. Within an hour of her passing, the husband passed.
Because the SICU staff made an incredible impact on this couple, they were able to go peacefully, having been in each other’s presence.