(Florence, SC, February 24, 2020) – Leslie Drummond, a staff nurse on the Cardiovascular Surgery floor, was recently named the January DAISY Award Recipient for McLeod Regional Medical Center. Drummond was nominated by a patient’s family member for her extraordinary care and compassion.

To recognize those Nurses at McLeod Regional Medical Center who are true examples of Nursing Excellence, patients, family members and co-workers may nominate nurses for the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses. The award is part of the DAISY Foundation’s program to recognize the super-human efforts nurses perform every day.

On the nomination form, the patient’s sister wrote, “My 40-year-old brother suffered a heart attack in December and a few days later it was decided that he would need bypass surgery. What followed were several days of sheer misery, sleepless nights, and constant interruptions that ensured my brother never got more than an hour’s sleep at any given time.

“As his sister, I’ve been here by his side for two weeks watching over him. One night, we were blessed to be assigned Leslie, who from the moment she met us showed compassion for his lack of sleep, amount of pain and overall experience here that we had not experienced before.

“Learning that he hadn’t slept the nights prior, Leslie worked hard to schedule all night visits for vitals, labs, medications, and treatments for just two times during the night. I can’t even explain what a huge blessing this was.

“Every interaction with her was honestly enjoyable – even for my brother who is still in a great deal of pain. Today is our tenth day here and we’ve encountered many doctors, nurses and technicians. Leslie stands out as a gem among them.

We just want to say a huge thank you to Leslie – you made our night.”

About the DAISY Nursing Award
The not-for-profit DAISY Foundation is based in Glen Ellen, California, and was established by family members in memory of J. Patrick Barnes. Patrick died at the age of 33 in late 1999 from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), a little known but not uncommon auto-immune disease. The care Patrick and his family received from nurses while he was ill inspired this unique way of thanking nurses for making a profound difference in the lives of their patients and patient families.

Nurses may be nominated for their strong clinical skills and the compassionate care they provide. Nomination forms are available on each nursing unit at McLeod Regional Medical Center or can be found at www.McLeodNursing.org.

Recipients of the DAISY Award are chosen by the DAISY committee, led by nurses at McLeod Regional Medical Center. Awards are given throughout the year at presentations in front of the nurse’s colleagues, physicians, patients, and visitors. Each honoree receives a certificate commending her or him for being an “Extraordinary Nurse.” The certificate reads: “In deep appreciation of all you do, who you are, and the incredibly meaningful difference you make in the lives of so many people.” The honoree is also given a beautiful and meaningful sculpture called “A Healer’s Touch,” hand-carved by artists of the Shona Tribe in Africa.