Phillips Receives DAISY Award at EGRMC
12/23/2019
Octavia Phillips, RN, nurse on the Medical/Surgical Unit at East Georgia Regional Medical Center, was recently awarded the hospital’s DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses. Octavia began her nursing career at EGRMC in June 2018, after graduating from nursing school and earning her RN license in May 2018.
Octavia was nominated by a family member of a patient. An excerpt from the nomination form, sharing Octavia’s passion for nursing reads:
“When I came to visit the hospital after church, I felt like the nurses might be bitter to work on a Sunday and care for my ‘mean at times’ family member. Her condition left her very irritable and hostile towards others, as she has very little quality of life. When I walked in her clean room, she was sitting in her bed smiling for the first time in years that I can remember! She looked up at me with that smile and said ‘You won’t believe how good I’m being treated.’ She told me that Octavia had treated her like a real person. For those of us without chronic illnesses, we don’t understand how it feels to be at the mercy of others for basic care needs. She expressed to me how Ms. Phillips made her feel valued, heard, and respected. By the end of my visit, I witnessed what my family member had been talking about. Octavia never complained when she asked for a snack or for more medicine; in fact, she seemed happy to serve others. It is rare to find people with these qualities, so I felt compelled (as someone who never gives customer feedback) to leave this note so she can be acknowledged for her professionalism and dedication to her trade. Today was the first time my family member has ever dreaded returning to her home from a hospital. Thank you, Octavia!”
“I am extremely proud and thankful to have Octavia on our nursing team,” said Marie Burdett, BSN, RN, Chief Nursing Officer at East Georgia Regional Hospital. “She is passionate about doing the right thing for her patients, and nurses from her heart. Octavia is very deserving of this recognition."
Nurses may be nominated by patients, families, and colleagues. The award recipient is chosen by a committee at EGRMC to receive The DAISY Award. Awards are presented throughout the year at celebrations attended by the Honoree’s colleagues, patients, and visitors. Each Honoree receives a certificate commending her or him as an "Extraordinary Nurse." The certificate reads: "In deep appreciation of all you do, who you are, and the incredibly meaningful difference you make in the lives of so many people." Honorees also receive a DAISY Award pin and a beautiful and meaningful sculpture called A Healer’s Touch, hand-carved by artists of the Shona Tribe in Zimbabwe.
“The DAISY Award program allows us to recognize our extraordinary nurses for going above and beyond,” said Stephen Pennington, CEO of East Georgia Regional Medical Center. “Octavia’s nursing style is a great example of what the term ‘compassionate care’ means, and what we strive for every day.”
The DAISY Foundation is a not-for-profit organization, established in memory of J. Patrick Barnes, by members of his family. Patrick died at the age of 33 in late 1999 from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), a little known but not uncommon auto-immune disease. (DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System.) 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.
Said Bonnie Barnes, FAAN, President and Co-Founder of The DAISY Foundation, "When Patrick was critically ill, our family experienced first-hand the remarkable skill and care nurses provide patients every day and night. Yet these unsung heroes are seldom recognized for the super-human, extraordinary, compassionate work they do. The kind of work the nurses at East Georgia Regional Medical Center are called on to do every day epitomizes the purpose of The DAISY Award.”
This is one initiative of The DAISY Foundation to express gratitude to the nursing profession. Additionally, DAISY offers J. Patrick Barnes Grants for Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice Projects, The DAISY Faculty Award to honor inspiring faculty members in schools and colleges of nursing, and The DAISY in Training Award for nursing students. More information is available at http://DAISYfoundation.org.
Left to right: Clinical Director of Medical/Surgical and Telemetry Units Shannon Farlow, RN, DAISY Award Winner Octavia Phillips, RN, and Chief Nursing Officer Marie Burdett, BSN, RN.
The Medical/Surgical nursing team and Executive Leadership with DAISY Award winner Octavia Philips, RN.
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