Two New DAISY Winners Blossom
The newest DAISY awardees at NorthBay Healthcare include a nurse leader and a nurse on 2 North, both of whom were surprised with their recognition in the days before and during Nurse Week.
Jen Veler, critical nurse leader in NorthBay’s ICU, received the DAISY Nurse Leader Award for 2022 on May 3. The Nurse Leader Award was initiated last year, and the first two to be recognized were Tracey Clifton, director, Med./Surg. services, and Beth Gladney, Stroke Program manager.
Jen was nominated by Katrina Boss, Clinical Nurse II in the NorthBay ICU.
“One simply cannot put a value on Jen’s contributions to our ICU and NorthBay as a whole,” Boss wrote. “She is worth her weight in gold and more, truly. Throughout the pandemic, Jen went above and beyond her duties, volunteering to work 12 hour night shifts to cover patient care. Jen is a solid resource for our unit at all times. She is always kind, understanding and professional. Even when you can literally see the weariness and fatigue on her face, she is still kind, caring, professional and hardworking. Now that Jen has been able to return to her true CNL duties, she has jumped right back in with getting us back on track with unit measures. She is a champion for early mobility, volume-based tube feeding, and just about every other directive that we follow in the ICU. She is a role model for professionalism and support of the bedside R.N.
Boss noted that the Nurse Leader Award is more than just a “shiny, specific patient care story,” but rather an overall example of exceptional care and service.
“When it comes to Jen, I have endless memories of her awesomeness. She, of course, is ‘just doing her job’ as CNL, but it’s well above that, and her efforts are consistent.”
Rene Jara, Clinical Nurse II, is a First Quarter 2022 DAISY Awardee, who was nominated by a patient who was having a very difficult time with post-surgical pain.
“The pain was so bad I couldn’t tolerate the IV bag,” the patient explained. “I guess I am sensitive to medications. I screamed because the pain was uncomfortable, and I remember a nurse male named Rene. He was there for me and explained to me to call him if I needed it. Well, I believe I called him every five minutes, and yelled his name so loud. He never complained and always came to my room immediately, with no fussing at me. He was so nice and compassionate that my pain was a little better. He works nights. His care was excellent. He always let me know he was there for me, and my door was open. I just had to call him. So every night that I knew he was working, I felt better. I knew I was going to sleep good knowing that I was his patient for the night. I must say that the nurses on 2 North are very good, no question. I never experienced this before, and I was very scared and in pain. I want to say thank you to Rene for taking care of me so well and for taking the time to explain everything. Everybody should experience his care and compassion. Because of him, my pain was better and I had less anxiety. After seven days, I went home finally. I’ll never forget that angel named Rene Jara. Thank you, Mr. Jara, for everything, an angel among us.”
The not-for-profit DAISY Foundation is based in Glen Ellen, and was established by family members in memory of J. Patrick Barnes. Patrick died at the age of 33 in late 1999 from complications from an auto-immune disease. The care Patrick and his family received from nurses while he was ill inspired this unique means of thanking nurses for making a profound difference in the lives of their patients and patient families.