May is National Nurses Month — dedicated to honoring the year-round hard work and dedication of nurses. An expansion of National Nurses Week, National Nurses Month was first put into place in 2020 by the American Nurses Association, as part of the Year of the Nurse. The Year of the Nurse, which began in 2020, was itself extended into 2021 in the face of the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. Now, more than ever, it is time to support and recognize nurses for their efforts.
The themed weeks of National Nurses Month aim to do just that. This week, May 10-16, is Recognition week, meant to “raise the visibility of the critical work nurses do by honoring nurse heroes, innovators and leaders.”
One of the ways that GetWellNetwork helps to both raise visibility and honor nurses every day is through our partnership with the non-profit organization The DAISY Foundation™ in support of its recognition program, The DAISY Award® For Extraordinary Nurses (The DAISY Award).
Exploring the DAISY Foundation
What is The DAISY Foundation? The DAISY Foundation was formed in 1999 after J. Patrick Barnes died from complications of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. Moved by the nursing care he had received during his illness, J. Patrick Barnes’ family established The DAISY Foundation (an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune SYstem) to honor nurses in his memory.
Since that time, The DAISY Foundation has grown significantly, partnering with more than 4,800 healthcare facilities and nursing schools internationally, representing 50 states and 28 other countries, and facilitating the nomination of nearly 2 million nurses for recognition.
The DAISY recognition program honors nurses at any stage of their careers, in any role, and in any setting. This includes student awards, team awards, nurse leader awards, lifetime achievement awards, and even awards honoring those nurses specifically addressing social determinants of health.
How do nominations work?
Anyone in a healthcare organization — including patients and family members under their care, or clinicians and other staff who have observed the quality of their work — can nominate a nurse. Nominations can be submitted at the healthcare facility or via www.DAISYaward.org using GetWellNetwork’s best practice rounding tool, Rounds+.
The recognition is a lifelong designation, and one that comes with extensive education, certification, and career benefits. Honorees can draw on a number of different resources for advancing their careers after they receive The DAISY Award, including reduced tuition, stipends for medical missions, reduced membership in professional societies, and mentorship support.
Recognizing DAISY’s mission year-round
Here at GetWellNetwork, we’re honored to work with The DAISY Foundation to help recognize these incredible nurses. Working together, we’ve recently supported the expansion of the DAISY nomination process to nominate on the website rather than just at a facility level, encouraging the public to nominate nurses who have touched their lives for The DAISY Award.
Now, during National Nurses Month, and Recognition week in particular, we’re excited to announce a new blog series spotlighting DAISY Award Honorees. Through our blog, we’ll be bringing you a closer look at past and present Honorees — including a look at the work they’re doing and the compassionate care that led their nomination and selection.
It’s one more way of saying thank you to the nurses who put their whole hearts into patient care. GetWellNetwork is honored to play a role in helping to recognize each and every one. Will you do the same?
To make a nomination for a specific nurse who has provided compassionate care, complete the online nomination form today.
