Lincolnland Home Care Nurse Nancy Bollenbaugh, RN, was honored with the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses at Sarah Bush Lincoln on August 28.
Bollenbaugh was nominated for taking the initiative to provide compassionate care to a patient in need. In a nomination letter, a coworker shared the following story:
“Nancy went above and beyond to provide care to an 86-year-old woman who was recently discharged from the hospital. After visiting the patient’s home, she immediately knew that this woman was not in any condition to take care of herself, nor could her 89-year-old husband. Instead of admitting her for home care services, Nancy took care of the woman’s immediate needs and spoke to her husband about caring for his wife. Nancy offered to help him find placement for her at a long-term care facility and made several calls. She also worked with the woman’s children, who both live out-of-state, to inform them of the conditions at home and that their mother could not remain at home without 24-hour assistance.
Due to insurance, the woman could not be placed in a facility that day, so Nancy returned the next day to again care for the woman and continue working on getting placement for her. She was finally able to get her placed in a long-term care facility where she can get the 24-hour care that she needs. Nancy spent two days taking care of this couple who was never even admitted into Lincolnland Home Care. She took the time and had their very best interests at heart. Incredible work Nancy! Thank you for living the Sarah Bush Lincoln values and standards.”
Sarah Bush Lincoln has joined more than 2,700 healthcare facilities by becoming a DAISY Award hospital partner. During the award presentation, Bollenbaughreceived 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.organd 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.orgor mail to Sarah Bush Lincoln, DAISY Nursing Award, 1000 Health Center Drive, Mattoon, IL 61938. For more information, contact SBL DAISY coordinator, Jamie Easton, RN, at (217) 238 -6255 or jeaston@sblhs.org.