St. Mary's Neonatal ICU Nurse Susan Bright Receives DAISY Award
March 1, 2023Susan Bright, a registered nurse specializing in neonatal intensive care – the care of premature babies and very sick infants – has received St. Mary’s systemwide DAISY Award for Nursing Excellence.
Bright was nominated by the mother of one of her patients.
“Talk about one of the scariest, most vulnerable times to be a parent,” the mother wrote of having a newborn who needed NICU care. “Susan was always there to lend a helping hand and answer any questions we had. She also was quick to intervene on our son’s behalf if needed. This is one of the times in my life where saying ‘thank you’ doesn’t seem enough.”
“Susan is an excellent nurse and just a wonderful person all around,” said Jackie Iley, St. Mary’s director of maternal and infant services. “She is knowledgeable, skilled, compassionate, a good listener and a good explainer – everything you would want in a NICU nurse.”
“Receiving the DAISY Award is something that a nurse can take with them for their entire career,” said St. Mary’s DAISY Award coordinator and director of orthopedics, Ann Gomes. “It’s special for every nurse who receives it. We are proud of all our nurses, but especially proud of Susan and all of our DAISY Award recipients.”
Bright has been a NICU nurse at St. Mary’s since 1998 and is a resident of Carlton in Madison County.
About the DAISY Award
The DAISY Award is an international recognition program that celebrates the skillful and compassionate care nurses provide day-in and day-out. It was created in gratitude for the nurses who provided care to Patrick Barnes, a 33-year-old husband and father who lost his fight against a deadly autoimmune disease in 1999. His family created the DAISY Foundation, which now partners with more than 5,000 hospitals and schools in all 50 states and around the world to honor and inspire extraordinary nurses. Learn more about the DAISY Award at https://www.daisyfoundation.org/.
At St. Mary's, each DAISY Award recipient is recognized at a public ceremony with their colleagues. They receive a certificate, a DAISY Award pin, and a stone sculpture entitled "A Healer's Touch" that is hand-carved by sculptors in Zimbabwe. In addition, they and their colleagues are invited to celebrate the occasion with cinnamon rolls, a treat Patrick would request – even though he couldn’t eat them! – as a thank-you to the nurses caring for him.
Anyone can nominate a St. Mary's nurse for the DAISY Award, including patients, patients' family members, providers, and colleagues. Any nurse in the St. Mary's system is eligible, including those at all three hospitals as well as home health care/hospice services and medical group offices. The nomination simply asks you to share your story of why a nurse is special to you. St. Mary's honors eight nurses each year.
There are two ways you can nominate a St. Mary's nurse for the DAISY Award:
- Visit St. Mary's DAISY Award webpage
- Contact Melissa McDaniel, Marketing Administrative Assistant and Volunteer Coordinator, at (706) 389-3890, option 3.