Porscha E Barry
April 2025
Porscha E
Barry
,
BSN, RN, CCRN
Dickson Heart Intensive Care Unit
Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center
Charlotte
,
NC
United States
Porscha truly embodies Nursing Excellence, setting a gold standard for the profession. She touches lives—not just through her clinical expertise, but through her heart, leadership, and dedication to those around her.
It is with great honor that we nominate Porscha Barry for the DAISY Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her extraordinary impact on nursing, her patients, and her colleagues. Porscha is a bright ray of sunshine—someone who brings light, warmth, and compassion into every space she enters.
A Nurse’s Nurse
Porscha is more than just a nurse; she is a mentor, a friend, and a passionate advocate. She deeply values the well-being of her team and continually seeks ways to support not only nurses but all members of the healthcare community.
As the President of Nursing in the Central Area for 2025, Porscha hit the ground running with a hugely successful 2nd Annual Professional Governance Workday. Having to pivot from in-person to a virtual pajama party at the last minute did not faze her at all. It allowed more than 100 nurses in attendance to be comfortable and engage in a day full of learning and fun. She is working hard to drive meaningful change that enhances both patient outcomes and nurse satisfaction.
Porscha serves as a judge for the Heart of Professional Governance Award. As a judge she had to read through more than 16 lengthy nominations outside of work and provide feedback regarding her judging. She attends the awarding ceremonies to celebrate the recipients of this award and make sure that every unit feels recognized for the work and difference they are making.
Nurse-Driven Initiative for Change
One of Porscha’s most impactful initiatives is Tissue Tuesday, a program she launched in the DHICU to reduce pressure injuries. She served as an instrumental part of the HAPI MWI workgroup that met for 3 hours on two separate days to create a flow map and identify root causes and weakness contributing to pressure injuries. Through these initiatives and ongoing education, the unit has seen nearly a 50% reduction in pressure injuries, demonstrating the power of her leadership and commitment to patient safety.
A Nurse Who Goes Above and Beyond
Porscha’s commitment to patient care goes far beyond the bedside—it is deeply personal, empathetic, and heartfelt.
During one particular shift, she was caring for an elderly patient nearing the end of life. As they spoke, the patient shared a final wish: he longed to feel fresh air on his face and breathe in the outdoors one last time. Porscha, moved by his request, immediately took action. She worked with her leadership team and security to coordinate a way to take him outside, ensuring that his final moments included the simple yet profound experience of feeling the fresh air one last time.
Even as Porscha has battled personal health challenges, her focus and dedication has been on supporting her team, being a great President of Nursing Staff, and impacting outcomes of the patients and their families. Her commitment is unparalleled and that alone makes her DAISY Award worthy.
These examples demonstrate Porscha’s unwavering compassion, advocacy, and dedication to honoring the dignity of every patient she cares for.
A Passion for Education and Excellence
Porscha is also a gifted educator and mentor. In 2024, she was nominated for the DAISY Nurse Educator Award in recognition of her passion for guiding and precepting new nurses. She has dedicated countless hours to training, mentoring, and ensuring that the next generation of nurses is well-prepared to provide excellent patient care. She spends personal time ensuring that her teaching tactics are unique and thorough to be as effective as possible in developing and empowering ICU nurses of tomorrow.
In addition to her clinical expertise, Porscha has a deep passion for education. She frequently arrives at 3 a.m. to support and train new night shift staff. As a certified BLS instructor, she has expanded her teaching to include CRRT classes and is preparing to lead IABP courses. She also plays a crucial role in maintaining high standards on our unit by conducting weekly central line audits, providing staff feedback, and helping us remain below benchmark for central line infections—a significant achievement given our patient population’s acuity and the number of central lines in use. Many nurses through Atrium credit their nursing skillset, knowledge base, and confidence to Porscha’s education, training, and support.
Furthermore, during regulatory visits, Porscha volunteers to come in and support her team on days off. Her goal is to empower and instill confidence in her peers, reminding them that their efforts remain the same daily, despite who is in the building. Her strong messaging of “stay ready and we never have to get ready” has made her team excel.
An Inspirational Legacy
Porscha’s philosophy is simple yet profound:
“My goal in life is to help as many people as I am able. I was told that if I did one to two good deeds a day, my life would truly be fulfilled at the end of my days. I hope to continue to be able to impact the lives of my patients and others in a positive way.”
She lives by these words every single day, and the impact of her kindness, leadership, and advocacy is her legacy.
As Janice O’Hagan, BSN, RN, CCRN, Nurse Manager of the Dickson Heart ICU, beautifully expressed:
“Porscha truly embodies Nursing Excellence, setting a gold standard for the profession. She touches lives—not just through her clinical expertise, but through her heart, leadership, and dedication to those around her.”
Porscha is a ray of sunshine for anyone she encounters. From sharing kind words or inspirational quotes, she consistently feeds the soul with compassion and love. In addition to inspiring others, she has greatly increased engagement in her unit by enlisting her peers to join various committees, councils, and workgroups based on their skillset and expertise. Porscha has literally hooked arms with her peers and pulled them along to attend meetings with her. She leads by example and strength.
For her tireless dedication, groundbreaking initiatives, and lifelong commitment to nursing, we wholeheartedly nominate Porscha Barry for the DAISY Lifetime Achievement Award.
A Nurse’s Nurse
Porscha is more than just a nurse; she is a mentor, a friend, and a passionate advocate. She deeply values the well-being of her team and continually seeks ways to support not only nurses but all members of the healthcare community.
As the President of Nursing in the Central Area for 2025, Porscha hit the ground running with a hugely successful 2nd Annual Professional Governance Workday. Having to pivot from in-person to a virtual pajama party at the last minute did not faze her at all. It allowed more than 100 nurses in attendance to be comfortable and engage in a day full of learning and fun. She is working hard to drive meaningful change that enhances both patient outcomes and nurse satisfaction.
Porscha serves as a judge for the Heart of Professional Governance Award. As a judge she had to read through more than 16 lengthy nominations outside of work and provide feedback regarding her judging. She attends the awarding ceremonies to celebrate the recipients of this award and make sure that every unit feels recognized for the work and difference they are making.
Nurse-Driven Initiative for Change
One of Porscha’s most impactful initiatives is Tissue Tuesday, a program she launched in the DHICU to reduce pressure injuries. She served as an instrumental part of the HAPI MWI workgroup that met for 3 hours on two separate days to create a flow map and identify root causes and weakness contributing to pressure injuries. Through these initiatives and ongoing education, the unit has seen nearly a 50% reduction in pressure injuries, demonstrating the power of her leadership and commitment to patient safety.
A Nurse Who Goes Above and Beyond
Porscha’s commitment to patient care goes far beyond the bedside—it is deeply personal, empathetic, and heartfelt.
During one particular shift, she was caring for an elderly patient nearing the end of life. As they spoke, the patient shared a final wish: he longed to feel fresh air on his face and breathe in the outdoors one last time. Porscha, moved by his request, immediately took action. She worked with her leadership team and security to coordinate a way to take him outside, ensuring that his final moments included the simple yet profound experience of feeling the fresh air one last time.
Even as Porscha has battled personal health challenges, her focus and dedication has been on supporting her team, being a great President of Nursing Staff, and impacting outcomes of the patients and their families. Her commitment is unparalleled and that alone makes her DAISY Award worthy.
These examples demonstrate Porscha’s unwavering compassion, advocacy, and dedication to honoring the dignity of every patient she cares for.
A Passion for Education and Excellence
Porscha is also a gifted educator and mentor. In 2024, she was nominated for the DAISY Nurse Educator Award in recognition of her passion for guiding and precepting new nurses. She has dedicated countless hours to training, mentoring, and ensuring that the next generation of nurses is well-prepared to provide excellent patient care. She spends personal time ensuring that her teaching tactics are unique and thorough to be as effective as possible in developing and empowering ICU nurses of tomorrow.
In addition to her clinical expertise, Porscha has a deep passion for education. She frequently arrives at 3 a.m. to support and train new night shift staff. As a certified BLS instructor, she has expanded her teaching to include CRRT classes and is preparing to lead IABP courses. She also plays a crucial role in maintaining high standards on our unit by conducting weekly central line audits, providing staff feedback, and helping us remain below benchmark for central line infections—a significant achievement given our patient population’s acuity and the number of central lines in use. Many nurses through Atrium credit their nursing skillset, knowledge base, and confidence to Porscha’s education, training, and support.
Furthermore, during regulatory visits, Porscha volunteers to come in and support her team on days off. Her goal is to empower and instill confidence in her peers, reminding them that their efforts remain the same daily, despite who is in the building. Her strong messaging of “stay ready and we never have to get ready” has made her team excel.
An Inspirational Legacy
Porscha’s philosophy is simple yet profound:
“My goal in life is to help as many people as I am able. I was told that if I did one to two good deeds a day, my life would truly be fulfilled at the end of my days. I hope to continue to be able to impact the lives of my patients and others in a positive way.”
She lives by these words every single day, and the impact of her kindness, leadership, and advocacy is her legacy.
As Janice O’Hagan, BSN, RN, CCRN, Nurse Manager of the Dickson Heart ICU, beautifully expressed:
“Porscha truly embodies Nursing Excellence, setting a gold standard for the profession. She touches lives—not just through her clinical expertise, but through her heart, leadership, and dedication to those around her.”
Porscha is a ray of sunshine for anyone she encounters. From sharing kind words or inspirational quotes, she consistently feeds the soul with compassion and love. In addition to inspiring others, she has greatly increased engagement in her unit by enlisting her peers to join various committees, councils, and workgroups based on their skillset and expertise. Porscha has literally hooked arms with her peers and pulled them along to attend meetings with her. She leads by example and strength.
For her tireless dedication, groundbreaking initiatives, and lifelong commitment to nursing, we wholeheartedly nominate Porscha Barry for the DAISY Lifetime Achievement Award.