Amanda Barton provided extraordinary care and compassion to a patient waking up from anesthesia with a history of severe PTSD. The patient had a history of trauma and military service that made post-anesthesia settings especially triggering and stressful.

Amanda took the time to understand their background and gently tailored her approach to ensure the patient felt safe, understood, and respected at every step. She spoke in a calm, reassuring tone, explained every action beforehand, and ensured the patient always felt safe, something that made a world of difference. What truly stood out was Amanda’s patience. There was never a rush, never frustration. At moments when anxiety threatened to overwhelm the patient, Amanda grounded them with both kindness and presence.

Today, I watched Amanda choose to be a true healer, not just of the body, but of the mind and spirit as well. This is exactly the kind of nursing that the DAISY Award was created to honor.