Sarah Bush Lincoln nurse Alexandra Barlas, RN, was honored with the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses at Sarah Bush Lincoln on April 27.
Barlas was nominated after making a big impression on one of her patients for her dedication, kindness and compassion.
The patient’s wife wrote: “This nurse is very compassionate and really took the time to talk with us. She is a good listener and she showed exceptional care and concern for my husband during his stay. He is a terminally ill cancer patient and through her we realized he could have a better quality of life.
Along with her wonderful care, she touched us on a personal note. She had us laughing and she made us feel like we were part of her immediate family. Too many nurses are in and out of their patient’s room (we know they are busy people), but for this nurse to take all the time we needed to vent was great. She has a great personality and I hope she never changes. A nurse such as this is what the DAISY award was made for. She deserves it! It renewed our desire to want to live.”
Sarah Bush Lincoln has joined more than 2,400 healthcare facilities by becoming a DAISY Award hospital partner. During the award presentation, Barlas received a certificate, a DAISY Award pin and a unique, hand-carved serpentine stone sculpture from Zimbabwe, entitled, “A Healer’s Touch.”
The DAISY Award was established in memory of J. Patrick Barnes, who died at 33 of complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), a little known but not uncommon auto-immune disease. (DAISY is an acronym for diseases attacking the immune system.) 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 families.
Patients, visitors, nurses, physicians and other employees may nominate a deserving nurse for The Daisy Award and a nurse will be selected by SBL’s DAISY committee every month to received this special honor. Nomination forms are located at www.sarahbush.org and at all SBL clinics and on patient floors. The forms can be submitted to any Sarah Bush Lincoln staff member, or sent via email to daisy@sblhs.org or mail to Sarah Bush Lincoln, DAISY Nursing Award, 1000 Health Center Drive, Mattoon, IL 61938. For more information, contact SBL DAISY coordinator, Cynthia Edwards, RN, at (217) 238 -3422 or cedwards@sblhs.org.