I work in adult medicine. However, at the beginning of November, my father was diagnosed with stage four gall bladder/bile duct/pancreatobiliary (or something close to that) cancer that had metastasized to the momentum and peritoneum. The original attempt was to give him a year with chemo/immunotherapy. Thanks to United Health and later Medicare, his treatment was consistently delayed to the point that he didn't receive a port for two months. Two days later, at his oncology appointment, they said it was too late, and he was too far gone to treat. 

Eventually, my father could not handle the symptoms any longer. Severe nausea, vomiting, extreme pain in his abdomen, etc. He literally hasn't eaten in a month and cannot keep the oral pain or nausea meds down. He finally said to take him to the hospital, where Courtney was his ER nurse. I have known Courtney for about 20 years, just by association. I would classify her as an acquaintance. However, as she follows me on Facebook, she knew how much we have been struggling since his diagnosis. Not only with sub-par care at other facilities, to insurance letting us down, to just the physical symptoms. They are so severe I would not wish them on my enemy. I felt immediately at ease knowing she was there. She talked with me individually and knew that our next step was hospice, so we were only here to get his symptoms under control so he could gracefully go into hospice. She consistently stayed on top of his pain and nausea meds all day. She spoke with me individually about his labs and assured me she would not let him go without his meds and would push to keep them coming. Eventually, though confused, his pain got to a four, and he only vomited three times. That's way better than hours straight at home. 

He needed to be admitted to CCU for paracentesis and to finalize hospice. She talked to the charge nurse to make sure we did not have visiting restrictions since he was dying, and even came up to check on him the next evening during her shift. At a different hospital, we experienced a new grad nurse who tried to withhold his pain meds saying that she didn't believe he needed them. It made my dad feel like a burden and a baby. She never once even questioned his pain. In fact, she was usually in with the medicine before he even asked for it. Even the next day at CCU, we had quite a "prickly" nurse, and my mom muttered to herself, "I wish Courtney were up here." The next day, we went home to hospice, and she stopped me at the ambulance bay for a few words of encouragement and advice about his home care and staying on top of his pain. 

Not much has given me, my father, or my mother comfort in the past three months, but she was so good at her job. We didn't have to stand up for him, fight for him, or just get him to be treated like the person in pain that he is. And we needed that break and to get his symptoms desperately under control. He is home now on hospice, and I don't expect him to make it much longer. I know I am an employee, but I'm also the daughter of a man dying of the worst cancer you can imagine, and I believe that Courtney deserves all the accolades, including this DAISY Award. Her kindness, humor, and bright smile will never be forgotten by my family.