New Nurse receives DAISY Award for extraordinary compassion

Click here to see the May DAISY Award presentation photo album.

Published: June 2, 2014

Adrianne Wilkerson, R.N., was recognized with the May DAISY Award for the care she provided to a dying Patient on her first day at her new unit.

Due to poor weather and roads, the Patient's family could not make it to the hospital, so Adrianne held her phone to his ear while his family said goodbye. Adrianne also made sure the Patient was not alone, and she and another Nurse held his hand in his final moments.

"This meant the world to the Patient's family," her nomination form read.

She was recognized for this compassion with the DAISY Award last week.

DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System, and the DAISY Award is a national program created in memory of J. Patrick Barnes died in 1999 of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenia Purpura, or ITP at 33 years old. His family was overwhelmed by the skillful and amazingly compassionate Nurses that cared for Pat, and the DAISY Foundation and Award were created as an expression of their gratitude.

The DAISY Award is a way to recognize and make visible the contribution and value of Nurses wherever nursing is practiced.

Adrianne received a certificate, a DAISY pin to wear at work and beautiful serpentine stone sculpture carved by the artists of the Shona Tribe in Zimbabwe. The sculpture depicts the embracing relationship Nurses have with their Patients.