Brandy Salazar, critical care and progressive care unit manager at Hamilton Medical Center, recently received the DAISY Leader Award for Extraordinary Nurse Leaders. The DAISY Leader Award recognizes exemplary nursing leadership excellence.
Salazar was nominated by four staff members who mentioned that she is compassionate, caring, supportive, kind, competent, encouraging, respected, trustworthy and a great listener.
“Brandy is the perfect example of a DAISY Leader,” said Jennifer Ward, RN, clinical resource nurse. “Along with great listening skills, she is also trustworthy. Trust is not something that is easily earned, however, Brandy makes it seem effortless. She is a cheerleader of growth and development, and she always encourages staff to be the best they can be to provide the best care for our patients.”
Six other nurse leaders were also nominated for the award. They include: Jennifer Ward, Cyndi Kernea, Becky Jackson, Joan Hughes, Kay Coffelt and Terri Brown.
The qualifications for the award include:
- Role modeling compassion and exemplary practice
- Role modeling behavior perceived as extraordinary
- Creating an environment that fosters care and compassion
- Creating an environment where attributes of trust, compassion, mutual respect, continued professional development and ethical behavior are modeled and supported
- Motivating staff with a shared vision and enthusiasm to achieve better outcomes for themselves and for their patients
- Mentoring staff members
- Being accessible, available and responsive to the needs of others, encouraging critical thinking and problem-solving for individuals and within the context of the team
- Promoting and enhancing the image of nursing within the organization, the community and the profession.
