Kim Bailey, a nurse practitioner at Peeples Cancer Institute, recently received the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses. The DAISY Award recognizes exemplary nursing excellence, and is the highest honor a nurse can receive at HMC.
Bailey was nominated by a family member of a patient who mentioned her caring nature and that she went above and beyond (even going to the patient’s house to assist with clearing the patient’s blocked ears) in helping the patient as reasons for her nomination.
The award, presented in collaboration with The American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE) is part of the DAISY Foundation’s program to recognize the super-human efforts nurses perform every day.
DAISY Award recipients receive an honorary DAISY pin, a banner to display on their unit, an award certificate, and the Healer’s Touch, a hand-carved sculpture by the Shona tribe in Zimbabwe. The sculpture is especially meaningful because of the profound respect the Shona tribe gives to their traditional “healers.” A Shona healer is affectionately regarded as a treasure by those they are caring for which describes exactly how the DAISY Foundation and Hamilton feel about nurses.
Twenty-two other nurses were also nominated for the award. They include: Retha Blalock, Karah Thompson, Zach Henson, Avery Bowling, Jodee Ketter, Ashley Ridley, Elvira Hernandez Moya, Jennifer Araiza, Madison Flowers, Erica Ingle, Sarah Green, Justin Bailey, Megan Albright, Brandi Hooper, Breanna Cline, Kim Rich, Emily Sardina, Peyton Hawkins, Sandi Killen, Jessica Hix, Matt Henson and Megan Bethune.
The not-for-profit DAISY Foundation is based in Glen Ellen, Calif., and was established by family members in memory of J. Patrick Barnes. Barnes died at 33 in late 1999 from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), a little-known but not uncommon auto-immune disease. DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System.