BOONE, Iowa—Congratulations to Katie Merriam, RNC-OB, Family Birth Center, Boone County Hospital (BCH), who received the 2019 Daisy Award. Katie was presented the award at the Nurses Day Recognition Breakfast on May 10th.
One of Katie’s peers said, “Katie is one of the most compassionate nurses I have ever worked with. She cares for each patient with the greatest respect. She puts her patients and their families first… I observed Katie in a situation where the outcome of a birth was not as expected. The compassion she had for the parents of the new baby was amazing. She sat with the parents at the bedside and explained everything that was going to happen, and she answered every question they had. Later in the day, she was still thinking about the family. Katie is a nurse that TRULY cares for each and every family she touches. We are so fortunate to have a nurse like Katie and Boone County Hospital.
The DAISY (Diseases Attacking the Immune System) Award is an international recognition program that honors and celebrates the skillful, compassionate care nurses provide every day. The DAISY Award for extraordinary nurses was created in memory of J. Patrick Barnes who died at 33 of ITP, an autoimmune disease. The Barnes Family was awestruck by the clinical skills, caring and compassion of the nurses who cared for Patrick, so they created this award to say thank you to nurses everywhere. This recognition award has now been embraced by healthcare organizations around the world.
(contributed article and photo, BCH)