Prisma Health Tuomey DAISY winners cited for compassion, willingness

Compassion. Empathy. Love.

These are words patients and fellow team members used to nominate two nurses for DAISY Award honors this year.

The Spring 2020 DAISY winners from Prisma Health Tuomey Hospital are registered nurses Erica Freeman and Kristen Cronin.

A teammate on The Family Place said that Freeman is "always willing to help when and where she can."

"Erica shows everyone who walks by her a smile. Even when our unit gets very busy - and it often does - she is always willing to help with no questions asked." The nurse said Freeman "continues to show both her patients and fellow team members compassion and empathy. Any time I have had a question about patient care or our hospital's process, Erica has never made me feel like I was a burden - which, coming from a new graduate on a busy floor, means the world to me."

She closed by saying, "I hope all nurses strive to be like Erica - compassionate and willing."

Likewise, Cronin was praised for her cheerful nature and willingness to help when needed. "I was admitted to the hospital for a fall, so I was placed on the Overflow unit. I had a nurse from the ICU, Kristen, and she was filling in because of the hospital being so full on other units. I could not have had a more caring, knowledgeable and compassionate nurse."

The patient said that she had been placed on fall precautions. "Every time I called for someone's help, Kristen was always the first to come. She always had a smile on her face and was eager to assist in any way she could. She definitely has the love and compassion for people and their health care needs. I can honestly say she is one of the main reasons my stay was a positive experience."

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.