Natalie Prince, RN, received the March DAISY Award at McLeod Regional Medical Center for the compassionate and extraordinary care she gave to her patient.

Natalie Prince, RN, a staff nurse on the Cardiovascular Surgery Floor, was recently named the March DAISY Award Recipient for McLeod Regional Medical Center. Prince was nominated by a patient’s son 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 son wrote, “My father had chest pain on a Thursday, and after going through the Emergency Room, he was transferred to the Cardiovascular floor on Friday. Natalie, his nurse during the daytime, continuously monitored him and asked about his condition from time to time. She treated him with great respect and patience and answered all of our queries. He had a small scare on Saturday after his admission, but she gave him medicine, and he started feeling better. On Sunday evening, my father’s condition suddenly started deteriorating. His whole bed started trembling, and he had problems with his left arm and difficulty breathing. Natalie assembled the whole team of doctors and nurses right away and told them to get him to the catheterization lab. We were all panicking, but she kept her cool the entire time, continuously monitoring the situation and communicating with the doctors. Later we learned that he had a stroke, but due to prompt care and treatment, his heart was not damaged. Thank you to the whole team of doctors and nurses, especially Natalie.”

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.