Boulder Community Health’s Nurse Practice Council (NPC) is pleased
to announce the first winners of our DAISY Awards. The three honorees,
selected from a pool of 50 nominees, were recognized July 24 at a DAISY
Day Celebration.
DAISY Awards are given in all 50 states and 24 countries. The award acknowledges
nurses as the unsung heroes of health care and puts a spotlight on individual
nurses who demonstrate exceptional technical skills and extraordinary
compassion.
The NPC, which is sponsoring the award, reviewed each nomination submitted
by staff, patients or family members. Jackie Attlesey-Pries, vice president
of operations and chief nursing officer at Boulder Community Health, said
the awards are about honoring the “unsung heroes” of health care .
“The process for choosing was of course very difficult,” said
Attlesey-Pries, who read each nomination submitted. “(The winners)
were and will be chosen by ranking by the Nursing Practice Council staff.
They used criteria from the Daisy Foundation from blinded nominations
submitted. The highest ranked nominations were chosen.”
Introducing the Winners
Suzan Filley, RN (Telephone Triage Nursing – Primary Care)
Nominated by Susan Stuller, RN
“Suzan represents the best in nursing, the art and science of human
caring … Recently (Suzan) triaged a 92-year-old gentleman and it
was clear from how she spoke, that she had treated him as she would her
own parent. I am truly awed by her capacity to care so much about everyone
she touches.”
Lori Gordy, RN (CMC ED)
Nominated by Michelle Lee-Mitchell, RN
“Lori has touched the hearts of not only the patients she cares for
in the ED but also the staff members she works with. Her compassion and
thorough care are felt by patients and family members, which can be seen
when patients return just to say thank you … She always puts everyone
else’s needs first before her own.”
Angela Lawrence, RN (Nurse Manager - Inpatient Rehabilitation and Nurse
Staffing Resources)
Nominated by Karli Hansen, RN
“(Angela) is arguably the best manager of a unit of employees, policies,
patients and time that I’ve ever had the pleasure to know. Angela
juggles projects very well, but first and foremost, she is a nurse. She
has compassion for staff and patients. She looks out for them. She listens.
She counsels. She suggests. She shares. And she’s fun.”
At the Daisy Day Celebration, each of the three nominators read their submission
story. Cinnamon rolls - the favorite treat of the late Patrick Barnes,
whose family started The DAISY Foundation in his honor – were served
to guests who attended in Leo Hill. The DAISY Foundation asks that whenever
our award honorees smell that wonderful cinnamon aroma, they stop for
a moment and think about how special they are.
Photo Caption: (From left: Lori Gordy, RN - CMC ED; Suzan Filley, RN - Telephone Triage
Nursing, Primary Care; Angela Lawrence, RN – Nurse Manager Inpatient
Rehabilitation and Nurse Staffing Resources; and Jackie Attlesey-Pries,
RN, VP of Operations & Chief Nursing Officer). The banner pictured
travels to the units of each honoree.
Filley, Gordy and Lawrence each received:
• The Healer’s Touch stone sculpture, hand-carved and individually
signed by artists of the Shona Tribe in Zimbabwe, which represents the
bond between nurses and patients
• DAISY Award certificate commending them as an "Extraordinary
Nurse." The certificate reads: “In deep appreciation of all
you do, who you are, and the incredibly meaningful difference you make
in the lives of so many people.”
• Signature lapel pin and brochure
• Copy of their nomination
Three Awards Each Quarter
The Nurse Practice Council will give three awards every quarter. Anyone
can nominate a nurse for the DAISY Award — coworkers, physicians,
patients, patient families, visitors, staff members and administrators.
All BCH RNs, LPNs and advanced practice nurses are eligible. The NPC will
select honorees who consistently demonstrate excellence by upholding BCH’s
mission and values, ensuring we deliver the highest quality health care
to our community.
Nominate a deserving BCH nurse now with this online form or through nomination
collection boxes located throughout BCH. Each nominated nurse receives
a special DAISY pin, signifying the strong tradition of nursing pinning
ceremonies.
The DAISY Awards are just one of many initiatives coordinated by the NPC.
Nurses participating in the NPC provide important input into BCH’s
care practices, with the goals of improving patient outcomes, enhancing
the patient experience, contributing to staff well-being and elevating
the nursing profession.
About the DAISY Award
The DAISY Award (Diseases Attacking the Immune System) celebrates the skilled
and compassionate care exhibited by nurses every day. It was established
in memory of J. Patrick Barnes, who died at the age of 33 in late 1999
from complications of the auto-immune disease Idiopathic Thrombocytopenia
Purpura. The exceptional nursing care Patrick and his family received
inspired them to create this unique memorial and The DAISY Foundation.
When he died, they felt compelled to say, “thank you,” to
nurses in a very public way.
In May, BCH announced its partnership with the DAISY Foundation to introduce
the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses to our community. Our NPC is
proud to join thousands of health care organizations across the globe
participating in this program.
To learn more, visit
DAISYFoundation.org.