Several Baptist Memorial Hospital nurses earned the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses for their dedication, kindness and compassion. Patients, family members and colleagues nominated nurses at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle, Baptist Memorial Hospital-Tipton, Baptist Memorial Hospital-Union County, Mississippi Baptist Medical Center and NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital. Keep reading to find out more about Baptist’s dedicated nurses.
Baptist Golden Triangle
Wednesday Sabo, registered nurse in the Float Pool department, was selected as a DAISY Award winner after being nominated by a patient for her careful attention. The patient, who was admitted to the hospital for abdominal surgery, credits Wednesday for calling attention to her post-surgery condition. The patient required another surgery because of a complication. “She was very attentive and noticed that I was in no condition to be released. She was there every step of the way and went above and beyond the call of duty,” said the nominator.
Baptist Tipton
Crystal Poole, nurse manager, won the DAISY Award for going above and beyond when providing encouragement and helping a young diabetic patient and her mother with education on proper diet and lifestyle changes. Crystal even purchased plates that showed proper food portions and took them to the patient’s primary care office so they could be given to the family after discharge. She also provided additional portion plates for the physician to give to other patients.
Baptist Union County
Briana Quinn, registered nurse in the Emergency department, was nominated for the DAISY Award by a colleague for going above and beyond. The nominator shared that a critical patient in the Emergency department could not be transferred by helicopter to a higher level of care due to weather conditions. The nominator said, “Briana, who is a head nurse in the Emergency department and also has intensive care experience, volunteered to ride in the ambulance so the patient could be quickly transported to the level of care she needed.”
Mississippi Baptist Medical Center
Chase Armstrong, registered nurse in the Emergency department, won the DAISY Award for his kindness after being nominated by a patient’s sister. The patient, who had been in emergency departments many times throughout her long life, told her sister that she had “hit gold with Chase Armstrong” and referred to him as “nurse extraordinaire.” The nominator said, “She hasn’t stopped talking about how wonderful he was to her.”
Kayla Davis, registered nurse in the Oncology unit, earned the DAISY Award for her dedication after being nominated by a patient’s daughter. In her nomination, the daughter stated that Kayla is “a natural born healer with a gift and passion for what she does.” The daughter mentioned Kayla’s unwavering attention to her mother, who did not speak English. The nominator commended Kayla for learning some phrases so she could communicate better with her mother. She said Kayla’s “empathy, kindness, knowledge, compassion, attention, understanding, tenacity, discipline and outstanding performance were truly inspiring.”
Koury Eargle, registered nurse in the Medical-Surgical unit, received the DAISY Award for her compassion after being nominated by a family member of one of her patients. The nominator said that Koury treated them like family and immediately took care of their needs. She praised Koury’s “patience, compassion and knowledge.”
Rachel Garner, registered nurse in the Medical-Surgical unit, won the DAISY Award for her compassion following a nomination by the daughter of a patient. The daughter praised Rachel as “a beacon of God’s love and care.” She went on to share that Rachel offered “spiritual support, joining my mother in prayer and lifting her spirits.” The daughter concluded by saying, “Rachel’s ministry to my mother was a beautiful example of how health care professionals can integrate their faith into their work.”
Raja Johnson, registered nurse in the Medical-Surgical unit, earned the DAISY Award for her dedication following a nomination by a patient’s father. The nominator said that once they were admitted to the floor, Raja entered the room and connected with his daughter and their family first and then proceeded to get her health information. He said that Raja was always smiling and had a positive attitude. The nominator said all the nurses on the unit were great, but Raja stood out and made a difference with their family.
Crystal Nash, registered nurse in the Medical-Surgical unit, won the DAISY Award for her compassion after being nominated by one of her patients. The patient said Crystal made her “feel safe and secure in a very uncertain moment” when her blood pressure was unstable. She also commented that she felt like Crystal truly wanted her to get better and wasn’t just checking boxes during her rounds. The patient said, “Crystal felt like a part of our family when she was in the room with us.”
Candace Pearson, registered nurse in the Medical-Surgical unit, received the DAISY Award for her kindness following a nomination by a patient’s mother. The nominator said that Candace’s attention to her quadriplegic son “made a significant difference in his well-being.” She also praised Candace’s selflessness and ability to provide exceptional care.
NEA Baptist
Leann Gerlach, registered nurse in the Float Pool department, won the DAISY Award for her compassion after receiving multiple nominations. One of the nominators who commended Leann’s caring attitude said, “She went out of her way to help me. When I was having a hard time with all the needle sticks, she was there to talk to me and reassure me.” Another nominator, a patient’s friend, praised Leann for taking the time to walk them back to their car from the Emergency department at midnight when they were afraid to leave alone.
Sydney Pollard, registered nurse in the Intensive Care unit, earned the DAISY Award for her compassion after being nominated by a patient’s family member. The nominator commended Sydney’s nursing skills, as well as her ability to connect with family members. “What truly stood out was the way she communicated with not just Dad [the patient], but with my mother and brother as well. She related to us more like a member of our family than an assigned nurse.”
