Women & Infants Hospital recently presented Coventry resident Barbara Gallagher, RN, a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) nurse, with this month’s DAISY Award. The award is part of the DAISY Foundation’s program to recognize the above and beyond efforts performed by nurses every day.
In nominating Barbara for this honor, a patient wrote, “I cannot begin to explain what an impact she has had on me and my family. There is no gift or amount of money that I could give to truly show how much we appreciate her. She goes above and beyond her duties as a nurse. Her love for her job, compassion, and energy for life, is amazing.” Barbara has been a nurse with Women & Infants for 20 years.
The not-for-profit DAISY Foundation is based in Glen Ellen, CA, and was established by family members in memory of J. Patrick Barnes. Patrick died at the age of 33 in late 1999 from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), a little known but not uncommon auto-immune disease. The care Patrick and his family received from nurses while he was ill inspired this unique means of thanking nurses for making a profound difference in the lives of their patients and patient families.
Said Bonnie Barnes, president and co-founder of the DAISY foundation, “When Patrick was critically ill, our family experienced first-hand the remarkable skill and care nurses provide patients every day and night. Yet these unsung heroes are seldom recognized for the super-human work they do. The kind of work the nurses at Women & Infants Hospital are called on to do every day epitomizes the purpose of The DAISY Award.”
If you would like to nominate an extraordinary nurse that you encountered at any Women & Infants affiliated location or the main hospital, you can submit an application online or in person. Fellow providers and patients may nominate a nurse for the award.