Critical Care Nurse Amy Masengale, RN, was honored with the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses at Sarah Bush Lincoln on February 27.
Masengale was nominated by a daughter who was grateful for the compassionate care she provided to her mother at the end of her life. In her nomination letter, the patient’s daughter wrote:
“My mother had surgery recently. Due to complications after the surgery she was placed in the Critical Care Unit where she later passed away. Amy was her nurse and tended to her with such compassion and care. Amy was constantly explaining what was happening to my mom, whether it be taking blood to administrating the numerous bags of IV medication. She and the doctor did everything they could to try to save her, but unfortunately it was her time.
“There were times that I was falling apart and just needed someone to talk to and Amy was there for me. I was constantly asking her not to sugar coat my mom’s situation because my brother and I had some tough decisions to make. She was so professional and yet at the same time I could feel her compassion for my mom and my family. She is a wonderful nurse and a good role model to the younger nurses. Thank you, Amy, we are so grateful.”
Sarah Bush Lincoln has joined more than 2,700 healthcare facilities by becoming a DAISY Award hospital partner. During the award presentation, Masengale 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, SBL DAISY interim coordinator, Tracey McCord, RN, at 217 238-4987 or tmccord@sblhs.org.