Normadene Devane, RN, and Eloisa Zano-Samuel, RN, (center, holding certificates) recently earned the DAISY Award for their compassionate care of a long-term patient.
Greenwich Hospital Medicine nurses Normadene Devane, RN, and Eloisa Zano-Samuel, RN, recently received the DAISY Award for nursing excellence. As administrative coordinators (commonly called “supervisors”), they are often responsible for staffing decisions based on clinical needs of the hospital. They are unique in their clinical skills, breadth of knowledge, familiarity with the staff and ability to make decisions in real time. Devane and Zano-Samuel recently found time to go above and beyond for a special patient.
The patient, who had progressive dementia and confusion, was on the Medicine unit for 169 days while the medical team worked to determine the right combination of medications. Eventually, the patient became fully independent and liked to explore. Devane and Zano-Samuel made it their mission to keep him safe, inviting him to escort them as they did evening rounds. These rounds sometimes involved music and dancing, serving as a physical, emotional and mental activity for the patient. Additionally, the rounds gave Medicine unit staff a break from their constant vigilance with the patient.
In August the patient was successfully discharged, thanks to the entire team’s creativity and dedication. Devane and Zano-Samuel found a way to give their time to a single patient while demonstrating nursing leadership. They were honored for promoting the profession of nursing through their tireless devotion.
Lawrence + Memorial Hospital
Robin Foley, RN, and Sean Monahan, RN, work on different units at L+M and care for vastly different types of patients. However, after each won a DAISY Award recently, it was evident that their approach has a common denominator.
Foley cares for mothers and their newborns on the Maternity unit and Monahan cares for patients on the Cardiac Care Unit (CCU). Their DAISY nomination letters recounted how each nurse provided care with empathy and compassion.
Foley had been caring for a woman who had an emergency C-section. After the C-section, the newborn was sent to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, but the mother, who suffered from anxiety, panicked at the thought of going home without her child.
Foley went “above and beyond to check on the family regularly. The family’s nomination stated, “We are so grateful for her calm demeanor and passionate attitude toward her profession. The entire unit staff and nurse Robin were very reassuring and made the entire situation easier to manage. We are forever grateful for them.”
Monahan provided “kind” and “compassionate” care to a patient with intellectual disabilities, according to a family member. The patient, who didn’t always understand what was happening, required intubation. Monahan “would explain everything that was being done when we were not there,” the family member said. Intubation “is scary for most people, but I feel it was extremely scary for someone with this mental challenge. We were so grateful for all of Sean’s help and compassionate care.”
“Our caregivers are providing amazing care each day, helping patients and families cope with difficult times,” said Shannon Christian, RN, chief nursing officer, L+M and Westerly hospitals. “These recent DAISY awards give us a glimpse into that human kindness, which is really at the heart of all we do.”
Robin Foley, RN, (with flowers), and Sean Monahan, RN, (with flowers), are the most recent winners of the DAISY Award at L+M Hospital.
