Heather should receive the DAISY award for her clinical expertise, compassionate, and extraordinary care. The following are examples of the nominee’s exemplary commitment to patient-focused care:
Kind, confident, cheerful, comforting….Heather was that and more to my father, who is still a patient at Sanford’s, to my mother who is staying by his side and to all of our family who make frequent visits.
Heather made our entire family feel like she was always on the lookout for what was the very best for Dad; that was so reassuring for us, especially as each long day seemed to pass by with very little improvement. She was so good to explain his care to both him and us. Heather has a special way about guiding Dad to do things he needed to do, like sitting up or walking, even if he didn’t feel like it. They regularly joked back and forth; it was so nice to see a smile on Dad’s face even though his body was sometimes hurting.
Heather is a very positive person and that raised both his spirits and our hopes each day. Every day when she was the nurse assigned for his care, her smile, cheerful attitude, and excellent care for him continued. Her unending “spark” will be an etched memory for us all beyond this long hospital stay.