BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) and the DAISY Foundation have announced the recipients of the 2020 DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses in Patient Safety, presented in collaboration with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. Shelly Brown, MSN, RN, SANE-A, Clinical Nurse V, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Medical Center, has earned the individual award. The Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) at South Texas Veterans Health Care System has been honored with the team award.
A signature program of the DAISY Foundation, the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses recognizes individual nurses and clinical teams throughout the year for their extraordinary, compassionate care. More than 4,500 health care facilities and nursing schools across the US and in 27 other countries participate every year. Nearly 90 nurses and nurse-led teams, first honored by their own organizations between July 2018 and June 2019, were nominated for the 2020 IHI DAISY Awards, which place special emphasis on efforts to improve workforce and patient safety.
“This year’s honorees reflect the depth and breadth of the nursing profession in making a difference not only in patients’ lives but in society,” said Patricia McGaffigan, RN, MS, CPPS, Vice President, Safety Programs, IHI. “From major initiatives to small gestures of human kindness, the 2020 award recipients have demonstrated a common commitment to providing outstanding, person-centered care.”
Shelly Brown, the individual award recipient, practices forensic nursing at VCU Medical Center. Forensic nurses are advanced practice nurses with special expertise in caring for patients who have been victims of violence. Having cared for victims of human trafficking, Brown has become an advocate and educator on the topic, increasing awareness among health care administrators, government leaders, law enforcement, first responders, and health care professionals through lectures, seminars, and other initiatives.
Brown is also certified as a sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE). She is being honored in part for her care of a patient who had been abducted, drugged, and transported across multiple state lines. In addition to providing immediate care and involving social services and law enforcement, Brown arranged for ongoing care once the woman returned to her home and family.
“Shelly’s thoughtful and patient approach to this vulnerable young woman truly embodies our organization’s commitment to reducing harm, promoting safety, and providing excellent care even in the most difficult circumstances,” said Deb Zimmerman, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer at VCU Medical Center.
The MICU team at South Texas Veterans Health Care System is being honored for instituting a series of initiatives that have virtually eliminated central-line associated bloodstream infections, catheter-associated urinary tract infections, ventilator-associated events (such as pneumonia), and falls over the past year. Following high-reliability principles, the team began conducting twice-daily huddles, enlisting hand hygiene “sheriffs,” and using evidence-based care bundles for infection prevention.
Initially recognized for compassionate care of a veteran who was their patient for more than two years, the team — 27 registered nurses and 5 nursing assistants — has increased situational awareness – the ability to perceive and comprehend a patient’s status and project the course of action – from 62 percent to 98 percent, resulting in safer care for patients and better communication among staff.
“The MICU team has worked hard to create a positive environment that has yielded favorable experiences and improved outcomes for our patients,” said Michael Pomager, MBA, CEN, Chief Nurse/ACNS Critical Care Area at South Texas Veterans Health Care System. “In a challenging and demanding environment, this team continues to pursue improvement in providing safe, high-quality, holistic care to patients in their most vulnerable state.”
“The DAISY Awards were created to express gratitude to nurses for compassionate care, and this year’s honorees exemplify the compassion, professionalism, and expertise that define outstanding nursing care,” said Bonnie Barnes, FAAN, Co-Founder and CEO of the DAISY Foundation. “We are so pleased to partner once again with IHI in recognizing the important contributions nurses make to improving care and safety.”
These awards are supported by a generous grant from Hill-Rom, a global provider of clinical technology and patient safety solutions.
About the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI)
The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) is an independent not-for-profit organization based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. For more than 25 years, IHI has used improvement science to advance and sustain better outcomes in health and health systems across the world. IHI brings awareness of safety and quality to millions, catalyzes learning and the systematic improvement of care, develops solutions to previously intractable challenges, and mobilizes health systems, communities, regions, and nations to reduce harm and deaths. IHI collaborates with a growing community to spark bold, inventive ways to improve the health of individuals and populations. IHI generates optimism, harvests fresh ideas, and supports anyone, anywhere who wants to profoundly change health and health care for the better. Learn more at ihi.org.
About the DAISY Foundation
The DAISY Foundation was created in 1999 by the family of J. Patrick Barnes who died at age 33 of complications of an auto-immune disease (hence the name, an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System.) Patrick received extraordinary care from his nurses, and his family felt compelled to express their profound gratitude for the compassion and skill nurses bring to patients and families every day. The DAISY Award celebrates nurses in over 4,500 healthcare facilities and schools of nursing around the world. For more information about The DAISY Award and the Foundation’s other recognition of nurses, faculty and students, visit www.DAISYfoundation.org.
