The DAISY Award
What is The DAISY Award?
The DAISY Award is a nationwide program that rewards excellence in nursing. It was created by The DAISY Foundation to recognize the clinical skills, extraordinary compassion and care exhibited by nurses every day. The award is given to outstanding registered nurses in more than 200 hospitals across the United States.
Who is eligible for The DAISY Award?
DAISY Award recipients personify Overlake Medical Center’s commitment to a remarkable patient experience. These individuals consistently demonstrate excellence through clinical expertise and extraordinary service and compassionate care. They exemplify Overlake's philosophy of nursing in their work.
How to Nominate an Extraordinary Nurse
Patients and/or patients’ family members may nominate a deserving Registered Nurse by filling out a nomination form and submitting it via email or dropping it in the designated DAISY nomination box in the main lobby of the hospital, the emergency department or the postpartum baby unit. You may also submit your nomination online, please see submission form at the bottom of this page.
To be eligible for nomination, the nurse’s clinical skills and especially his/her compassionate care exemplify the kind of nurse our patients and their families recognize as an outstanding role model. He/she consistently meets all of the following criteria:
- Personalizes the patient care to meet superior experience of care for patients and their families.
- Makes a special connection with the patient or his/her family.
- Excels at providing education to patients and families.
- Works well with disciplinary health care team to meet patient and family needs.
- Has a positive attitude and demonstrates professionalism in the workplace.
- Exemplifies the mission, vision and values of Overlake Medical Center.
- Demonstrates excellent interpersonal skills with peers and coworkers.
What each DAISY Award recipient receives:
- A certificate proclaiming him or her an “Extraordinary Nurse.”
- A special DAISY Award pin.
- A unique, hand-carved Shone stone sculpture titled “A Healer’s Touch.” These serpentine stone sculptures are hand-carved for us by artists of the Shona Tribe in Zimbabwe. The sculptures are especially meaningful because of the profound respect the Shona people pay their traditional healers. Shona healers are affectionately regarded as treasures by those they care for, and the well-being and safety of the healer is of community-wide importance.
- Each hospital also receives a banner to hang in the recipient’s unit as a way to celebrate The DAISY Award honors and the nursing profession.
About The DAISY Foundation
The DAISY Foundation was established in 2000 by the Barnes family in memory of J. Patrick Barnes, who died from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP) at the age of 33. The DAISY Foundation is dedicated to funding research to help fight diseases of the immune system, like the one that struck Patrick, and supporting ITP patients and their families. Having been touched by the remarkable care, clinical skills and compassion demonstrated by nurses during Patrick’s illness, the Barnes family made it their mission to recognize exceptional nurses around the country. Learn more at daisyfoundation.org.