I am honored to nominate Mason Nguyen for the DAISY Award in recognition of the extraordinary care and compassion he provided every single night he was my sister’s nurse. In our first interaction, we felt a sense of comfort and trust. He not only demonstrated exceptional clinical skills but also took the time to truly listen, explain, and reassure us during a very difficult time. His calm presence and genuine empathy made our sister feel like she was more than just a patient- she was seen, heard, and cared for as a whole person.

D was sent to Atrium Health Navicent by her physician. She was to go immediately to the Emergency Room, and after several hours in the ER, D coded. D was not in the ER alone; her niece was with her. S, (Niece) was screaming for help; help came rushing. After getting D stable, D was sent to the ICU, where she stayed for twelve days. After a heart catheterization, she had open heart surgery. On the second day after the surgery, she had another surgery. After she was stable from surgery, D had a pacemaker and defibrillator surgery.

Each day and most nights, D had a family member with her. After many tireless days and nights, members of her family were exhausted. If we went home to sleep for a short time, we were called back by D, and her words were, "Please, please come back." D was scared after all she had been through. Everything was new and frightening to us as we watched her struggle to live. Nights were hard for D. We were afraid to leave her. We were so exhausted sitting in a hard chair, and emotional, and so tired after the sixth day and night of sitting with D in the CVICU. However, we knew if we left, we would be called back by her. She was scared; the calls were very emotional from her, and she needed reassurance that she was going to be taken care of by us.

After several nights, Mason, the CVICU nurse, was D’s nurse; what a difference he made in not only her life, but also her family members’ lives. The first night Mason was her nurse, he was there, working tirelessly, diligently helping D and us understand issues and ramifications. He patiently explained things to us, sometimes more than once. Of utmost importance to him was D’s comfort. He was also concerned and expressed repeatedly to each of us as we went through our emotional and exhausting roller coaster rides. We looked forward to seeing him each night, and we knew we could go home and rest.

I wanted to hug him hello and bye as I walked through the doors to go home and rest, as I knew D was going to be taken care of. His tireless, devoted, and skilled passion for D made a huge impression on us. He stood out as a nurse, willing and able to go beyond the normal call of duty.

We all thank Mason for his hard work, kindness, and positive impact he made every night. He truly made a difference in D’s recovery.