Josie Kneeland, BSN, RN

It is my sincere privilege to commend Josie Kneeland. During my father’s hospitalization following a devastating bicycle accident, she exemplified everything that nursing should be. My father suffered extensive injuries, including multiple broken bones, and his hospitalization was one of the most frightening experiences our family has ever faced.

Josie was the very first person from the hospital to speak with me after his injuries. I will never forget her kindness, compassion, and calm reassurance during that conversation. She helped ease my fears at a time when I desperately needed someone to do just that. I remember asking her if my dad was being difficult because I know how independent and strong-willed he can be. She smiled and said, “Well, he’s gotten a little sassy with me, but if I had as many broken bones as him, I’d be sassy too.” That simple response told me everything I needed to know about the kind of nurse she was.

She saw the person behind the patient. My father repeatedly told me how gentle and caring Josie was. She didn’t simply provide excellent medical care. She treated him with dignity, patience, and genuine kindness. He shared that she would often hold his hand while talking with him, providing comfort during an incredibly painful and vulnerable time. What impressed us even more was that her compassion didn’t end when her shift or assignment did. After my father was transferred out of the Trauma Surgery ICU to a step-down unit, Josie continued to check on him.

She made a point of visiting him simply because she cared. One evening I had the opportunity to meet her myself. Even though she was on her break and my father was no longer her patient, she noticed his discomfort. Without being asked, she went to get eye drops to rinse his irritated eyes and Vaseline for his painfully chapped lips.

Those are small acts in the grand scheme of medicine, but to a patient recovering from severe trauma, they make an enormous difference. They are also the kinds of things that cannot be taught. They come from genuine compassion. Throughout my father’s entire hospitalization, including his stay in rehabilitation, no caregiver left a greater impression on our family than Josie.

She consistently went above and beyond her responsibilities, not because she had to, but because that is who she is. Technical skill is essential in nursing, but kindness, empathy, and humanity are what patients and families remember forever.

Josie gave our family hope during one of the darkest moments of our lives, and she helped my father feel seen, comforted, and cared for when he needed it most. She is an extraordinary nurse, and I cannot think of anyone more deserving of a DAISY Award.