Beebe Healthcare presents DAISY Award to Elizabeth Wilson

Nurses at Beebe Healthcare are being honored with the DAISY Award, a part of the DAISY Foundation’s national program to recognize the superhuman efforts nurses make every day. Beebe presents the DAISY Award to nurses on a quarterly basis.

Beebe’s December recipient is Elizabeth Wilson, FNP, MSN, a nurse practitioner at Beebe’s Tunnell Cancer Center, who was recognized for the compassionate care and comfort she provided to a patient who was losing her battle with cancer, and her family. 

“When my aunt and our family were faced with making difficult decisions regarding her care, Liz spent time with our family explaining the different options, including risks and benefits,” Wilson’s nominator wrote. “The situation was even more complicated because my aunt was faced with a poor prognosis and her daughter was expecting her first baby, but was only 20 weeks pregnant. Liz comforted my cousin on many occasions and helped her cope with the idea of her mom passing before the baby was born. She also listened while my aunt expressed her wishes to spend as much time with her family as possible and helped ease her fears of passing away.

“I work with Liz at the cancer center and have always admired her as a co-worker, but the compassion and care she gave my aunt and our family was amazing,” the nominator added.

Wilson was presented with a DAISY Award certificate and a hand-carved Healer’s Touch sculpture during a recent surprise ceremony. Each DAISY honoree receives the statue and the certificate, which commends the honoree for being an Extraordinary Nurse, "In deep appreciation of all you do, who you are, and the incredibly meaningful difference you make in the lives of so many people."

The not-for-profit DAISY Foundation is based in Glen Ellen, Calif., and was established by family members in memory of J. Patrick Barnes. Barnes died at the age of 33 in 1999 from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura, a little-known but not uncommon autoimmune disease. The care Barnes 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.

Nurses may be nominated by patients, families and colleagues, and they are chosen by a committee of nurses at Beebe Healthcare to receive the DAISY Award. Awards are given throughout the year at presentations held in front of the nurse’s colleagues, physicians, patients, and visitors.

“Beebe is proud to be among the healthcare organizations participating in the DAISY Award program,” said Steve Rhone, vice president and chief nursing officer. “Nurses are heroes every day. It’s important that our nurses know their work is highly valued, and The DAISY Foundation provides a way for us to do that.”

To nominate a Beebe nurse for the DAISY Award, visit www.beebehealthcare.org/forms/daisy-award. For a complete listing of healthcare organizations currently running the program, go to www.daisyfoundation.org.