The on-going news of the country's nursing shortage is very concerning. Research indicates that a shortage of registered nurses actually endangers the lives of patients. Hospitals with insufficient staff are having to shut down beds and even emergency services, a threat to all of us.

The need for new and replacement nurses is acute and evident:

• 72% of hospital CEOs report experiencing a nursing shortage at their facilities (American College of Healthcare Executives, October 2004)
• 126,000 nurses are needed now to fill vacancies at our nation's hospitals (American Hospital Association, April, 2006)
• 1.2 million new and replacement nurses will be needed by 2014 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, February, 2004), and there will be a 20% shortage by 2020 (Journal of the American Medical Association on June 14, 2000).

The shortage is being caused by a growing demand for healthcare as our population ages, accelerated retirements in an extremely stressful work environment, and fewer nursing graduates to replace those who retire. However, strategies to turn around the nursing shortage are being addressed throughout the healthcare profession. In addition to higher pay, better benefits, and more flexible hours, professional recognition is playing an important role in hospital retention programs. That's where The DAISY Award comes in.

When Patrick was ill, we were awed by the skill, care, and compassion of his nurses. We created The DAISY Award For Extraordinary Nurses in 2001 to say thank you to nurses around the country, as we believe they are truly "unsung heroes." They are deserving of our society's profound respect and recognition for the education, training, brainpower, and skill they put into their work, not to mention the caring with which they deliver their care. At the time we started the program, we could not have anticipated that The DAISY Award would come to be regarded by some of the best hospitals in America as a strategic tool for nurse recruitment and retention - two key elements in managing the nursing shortage.

Our hospitals' administrators tell us that as a recognition program, The DAISY Award is "inspirational," "a great morale booster," "an excellent tool for nurse retention," "a way to develop role models." They find it so meaningful that many have created their own DAISY Award displays in their lobbies, banners for their nurses' stations, scrapbooks of recipients, feature presentations at their National Nurses Week ceremonies, and permanent plaques. Realistically, we cannot project the effect The DAISY Award can have on the worrisome nursing shortage. However, it is apparent that our effort at expressing personal, heartfelt appreciation to nurses for the important difference they make in all the lives they touch is having a powerful effect.

Hopefully, this will make a difference in everyone's life.