Jacquelyn Davis
February 2026
Jacquelyn
Davis
,
BSN, RN, CNOR, NPD-BC
Nursing Education
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Memphis
,
TN
United States
Her calm leadership amid a stressful situation gave the team reassurance and helped them focus on patient care.
I am proud to nominate Jacquelyn for the DAISY Nurse Leader Award. One evening when the OR experienced a code, Jacquelyn stepped in as a steady source of support for the team. She quickly gathered needed resources, contacted the right individuals, and stayed present with the circulators throughout the event. Her calm leadership amid a stressful situation gave the team reassurance and helped them focus on patient care. The next day, Jacquelyn helped ensure staff were connected to resilience resources and came in early to intentionally round with the team. She remained visible and available in the days that followed, demonstrating her commitment not only to patient safety but also to her staff's well-being during a difficult time. Jacquelyn has a remarkable ability to recognize opportunities for improvement and to advocate for safe practices. She developed a cross-training program that strengthens the staffing mix in PACU and IR by aligning competencies, so nurses feel confident working across areas. She also implemented regular live-fire drills in the OR suite, giving staff the opportunity to practice safe responses to protect both patients and team members. Jacquelyn shows up for her team in every setting—whether in a crisis, through day-to-day communication, or by building systems that keep staff and patients safe. For her advocacy, compassion, and accessibility as a leader, I am honored to nominate her for the DAISY Nurse Leader Award.