Women & Infants Hospital recently presented Cranston resident Angela Pontikes, RN, a registered nurse in the Emergency Department, with the 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 Angela, Women & Infants Molly Hanlon, RN, assistant nurse manager, wrote, “Every person who comes into contact with Angela during their visit leaves knowing that there is one more person in this world who genuinely cares about their well-being. While providing exceptional care to every patient, she manages to listen to the patient and their family in order to make sure all of their needs are met before they leave. A specific example of her immense capacity for caring is when she recently had a patient admitted to Women’s Progressive Care Unit who, after bonding over a few visits…she visited every day that she was here until the patient was transferred to Rhode Island Hospital (RIH)...Angela then bought four coffees and used her break every day to go to RIH and check in on the family. Her time caring for them was long over but she continued to care for their emotional needs despite the fact that they were no longer at Women & Infants. Once a patient has had Angela as their nurse, they will always remember her name.”
Angela has been a nurse at Women & Infants since March 1987.
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.”
To nominate an extraordinary nurse who works at any Women & Infants affiliated location or the main hospital, submit an application online or in person. Fellow providers and patients may nominate a nurse for the award.
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