2 Tuomey nurses earn DAISY Award for compassionate care

SUBMITTED

Two more nurses at Palmetto Health Tuomey have earned the DAISY Award, an honor that spotlights compassionate and extraordinary nursing care.

Sharon Drayton and Mallory Smith are the fourth pair of Sumter nurses to be recognized through the DAISY program. Both made a lasting impression on a patient and family members who witnessed extraordinary care and nominated them for the honor.

The patient who nominated Drayton said, "I will never forget her. She was my guardian angel."

Drayton works in the Intensive Care Unit. The patient's doctor told her she'd arrived "just in time," that she was "very sick."

"I was confused and out of it," she wrote. "Even in that state, I knew my nurse cared for me. She gave me a bath and talked and comforted me. She helped me feel much more positive about my circumstances. She lifted my spirits. She kept me comfortable and showed me so much compassion."

She said Drayton was a skilled caregiver, but it was the encouragement that had a profound impact on her attitude.

"I was on death's door and in so much pain, but she encouraged me to stay strong. She provided emotional and physical support. I looked forward to seeing her during my stay. She is such a cool nurse and top shelf, but she also has such a big heart. I will never forget her."

A ready smile and a caring attitude are what earned Smith her nomination.

A family member of a patient called the Telemetry nurse "a true example of an outstanding nurse."

He wrote that his 95-year-old uncle, normally alert and aware, had to be admitted to the hospital with a urinary tract infection and a blood clot in his leg. As it sometimes does, the UTI had caused him some confusion and impacted his ability to reason.

"From the emergency room to his trip to room 321, we were very pleased with the care and professional care he received. Then comes Mallory. A very pleasant personality combined with knowledge and a desire to treat her patients with respect are essential to a career in nursing. My wife and I and, most importantly, our uncle feel that Mallory is truly an example of an outstanding nurse."

He cited her "outstanding" ability to follow through with patient requests and said her bedside manner is "excellent."

"Being able to do her part in our uncle's care helped him to respond quickly to the treatment he received for the UTI. He was very pleased with her ability to help him change the way he felt about being in the hospital. When I spoke with Mallory to get information or assistance, she always responded with a smile and a caring attitude."

What is the DAISY Award?

The family of Patrick Barnes created the DAISY Award in 1999 to honor the extraordinary care Barnes received from his nurses.

"We hope that the giving of the DAISY Awards elevates the excellent care that our nurses are already giving to an even higher level! Recognizing great nurses will inspire those around them to be great as well," said Maggie Weatherly, the hospital's Pathway to Excellence nursing accreditation leader.

At Palmetto Health Tuomey, the DAISY Award is given out four times a year to two nurses who have been nominated by patients, a patient's family or fellow team member and have been voted on by the award committee. Nomination forms can be found at the nurse stations on each unit.

For more information on the DAISY program, contact Courtney.Gainey@PalmettoHealth.org or Maggie.Weatherly@PalmettoHealth.org.