Published: Sept. 26, 2013
Click here to see our entire photo album from the award presentation.Elizabeth Schieding, a Regional Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Nurse, was honored with the DAISY Award Wednesday. DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System, and the Award is given to a Nurse who goes above and beyond in terms of care for Patients and families.
Elizabeth was surprised Wednesday at the RNICU by her family, friends and past Patients who celebrated the award with her.
She was nominated by several Patients' families, including Arielle Beachler of St. Johns, whose son was born prematurely and spent 3 months in Elizabeth's care in the RNICU. Elian is now 2½ and threatened to steal the show as he played during Elizabeth's award presentation.
"She was vital to our family," Arielle wrote of Elizabeth. "She gave us love and comfort as we believe no one else could have."
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.
Elizabeth 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.