This team is truly an exceptional team. This highly skilled group of nurses and paramedics provides care to patients involved in clinical research studies. This team embodies the vision of making children truly Better Today and Healthier Tomorrow. One of the groups of patients this team sees are kids with severe allergies. When a child has an allergic reaction they are typically seen in the ER then referred to an allergist who typically does allergy testing to see what the child is allergic to. They are given an Epi pen, told to avoid the food they are allergic to and told "good luck". This just does not seem good enough for our children. In light of this we have doctors who engage in allergy research to give families and children a better option. These children volunteer to engage in research to offer not only for themselves but every child that has severe responses to food hope for something better. These children come to the PRU and follow a protocol that actually causes children to have an allergic reaction, then the staff provides medication and care to rescue them. These children then return every month for treatment in the hope that they will no longer have severe anaphylactic responses. Parents agree to participate in this research because they have complete and utter confidence in the nurses who will provide emergent care for their children when they need it. This work is life-changing for these children. There is a group of children that are diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder. These children come from all over the United States for participation in this study. When the children completed their first round of treatment, a graduation ceremony was organized complete with cap and gown, diplomas and a pizza party. Engaging in this research is challenging for these families so keeping them engaged and feeling valued and appreciated is key. Every kid gets to go to the prize closet to choose a reward for their participation. The nurses know their patients so well that they can order toys to meet the desires of our kids. Whether it's Lego sets, Barbies, or Paw Patrols, the nurses have it available for their patients. Some visits last all day. You will find our staff playing games, coloring, or reading to our children to keep them busy and occupied. That is just a typical day in the Research Unit., I could go on and on because the work these amazing nurses do is so broad. They are working with patients with CF, liver transplant, hemophilia, allergy and asthma, diabetes, sickle cell, and the list continues. No other group of nurses is as knowledgeable and skilled in caring for such a diverse population of patients making them a unique and worthy recipient of the DAISY Team Award. Thank you for your consideration.

The nurses in the Pediatric Research Unit at CAP work as a cohesive, collaborative team providing not only highly skilled clinical care but also the project management support that is essential to conducting clinical trials, and the humanity to care for the emotional needs of children and caregivers through what are often stressful visits. They support investigators all across the department and consistently deliver to our families the one thing they need the most: Hope.