Kim Love, a staff nurse in the Coronary Care Unit (CCU), was recently named the June DAISY Award Recipient for McLeod Regional Medical Center. Love, the 19th recipient of the DAISY Award, was nominated by a patient’s husband 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 husband wrote, “Aside from being so knowledgeable, Kim is the most friendly and considerate nurse I have ever met. Although all of the nurses who took care of my wife in CCU are ‘the very best,’ Kim just stood out. She always had a smile on her face, constantly checking on my wife, keeping her clean and turned regularly, but she would also do a lot of extra things such as comb her hair and keep Vaseline on her lips. She put lotion on my wife’s face, arms and legs and even massaged her feet.

“Kim always asked if I needed anything, and she would come in sometimes just to check on me to make sure I was okay. I have met a lot of great nurses at McLeod, but by far Kim stands out above them all, and that says a lot about her.

“CCU truly has a great staff. What I experienced was pure excellence. My wife was very well cared for, but the level of care was even higher from Kim.”

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.