Rachael Ammons & Jessica Andrews
June 2026
Rachael
Ammons
,
RN
ICU
Baptist Health Hardin
Elizabethtown
,
KY
United States
In a moment of crisis, Rachael and Jessica chose to put someone else's needs ahead of their own, sacrificing their personal time to ensure a colleague was safe, supported, and not alone.
I am honored to recognize Rachael Ammons and Jessica Andrews for the extraordinary compassion, selflessness, and support they demonstrated during a colleague's unimaginable crisis.
On a Tuesday evening during shift change, one of our respiratory therapists received a devastating phone call informing her that her youngest child had been involved in a serious accident. He was run over by a lawnmower.
She came into the ICU nurses' station in complete shock—crying, overwhelmed, and struggling to process the devastating news. Without hesitation, the ICU nursing team immediately surrounded her with compassion and support. They comforted her, helped her contact Respiratory Therapy leadership, and even paused to pray with her during one of the most difficult moments of her life.
What happened next truly exemplified nursing at its finest.
After their shifts had ended, Rachael Ammons and Jessica Andrews went far beyond what anyone could have expected. Although they did not personally know the respiratory therapist, they recognized that no one should have to face such a heartbreaking journey alone. Knowing she was in no emotional condition to drive, they stayed by her side, offered unwavering emotional support, and drove her in her own vehicle all the way to UK Hospital so she could be with her child.
These actions were neither required nor expected, and were not part of their job descriptions. They were acts of extraordinary kindness, compassion, and selflessness. In a moment of crisis, Rachael and Jessica chose to put someone else's needs ahead of their own, sacrificing their personal time to ensure a colleague was safe, supported, and not alone.
Their actions embodied the true meaning of nursing. They demonstrated that caring extends beyond our patients—it also includes caring for one another. Their empathy, generosity, and unwavering support during one of a coworker's darkest moments will never be forgotten by those who witnessed it.
Rachael Ammons and Jessica Andrews are shining examples of the values the DAISY Award was created to recognize. Their extraordinary compassion and humanity remind us all what it truly means to be a nurse, and I cannot think of two individuals more deserving of this honor.
On a Tuesday evening during shift change, one of our respiratory therapists received a devastating phone call informing her that her youngest child had been involved in a serious accident. He was run over by a lawnmower.
She came into the ICU nurses' station in complete shock—crying, overwhelmed, and struggling to process the devastating news. Without hesitation, the ICU nursing team immediately surrounded her with compassion and support. They comforted her, helped her contact Respiratory Therapy leadership, and even paused to pray with her during one of the most difficult moments of her life.
What happened next truly exemplified nursing at its finest.
After their shifts had ended, Rachael Ammons and Jessica Andrews went far beyond what anyone could have expected. Although they did not personally know the respiratory therapist, they recognized that no one should have to face such a heartbreaking journey alone. Knowing she was in no emotional condition to drive, they stayed by her side, offered unwavering emotional support, and drove her in her own vehicle all the way to UK Hospital so she could be with her child.
These actions were neither required nor expected, and were not part of their job descriptions. They were acts of extraordinary kindness, compassion, and selflessness. In a moment of crisis, Rachael and Jessica chose to put someone else's needs ahead of their own, sacrificing their personal time to ensure a colleague was safe, supported, and not alone.
Their actions embodied the true meaning of nursing. They demonstrated that caring extends beyond our patients—it also includes caring for one another. Their empathy, generosity, and unwavering support during one of a coworker's darkest moments will never be forgotten by those who witnessed it.
Rachael Ammons and Jessica Andrews are shining examples of the values the DAISY Award was created to recognize. Their extraordinary compassion and humanity remind us all what it truly means to be a nurse, and I cannot think of two individuals more deserving of this honor.