The nurse I would like to nominate for the DAISY Award has been with Lourdes for 18 years. She is well known to most everyone. What people may not know about her is the number of lives she is responsible for saving. I have worked in the same ICU with April Douglas for four years, and she was my preceptor.

As a charge nurse in the ICU, she assists with many code blues throughout the hospital. I can remember being on my own as a new nurse during the worst of COVID. For the first time, I had to call a code blue on my own patient. I was up in CCU, where not many people frequented. There were rarely staff such as housekeeping, phlebotomy, and physicians who rounded bedside. I felt scared and like I was on my own. I remember the feeling when I looked up and saw April there. I was flooded with relief and cried, “You came.” I think many nurses and MDs have felt the same when she has entered the room in these situations. April always knows what to do. She always has an idea, and she’s usually right.

Taking care of patients in the ICU can be an overwhelming job, and she is always there for support. Typically, she is two steps ahead. She really does improve patients’ outcomes, and I’d love to know her ROSC statistics. But it’s not only these critical situations where she leads. It’s the routine of turning patients, oral care, and wound prevention. It sets a precedent for other nurses and elevates our standards of care. If a nurse of 18 years gets up and turns her patient every 2 hours, the same is expected of you. I wouldn’t be the nurse I am today without her support and guidance.