The DAISY Foundation™ was created in 1999 in memory of the extraordinary nursing care provided to J. Patrick Barnes during his eight-week hospitalization for idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), an auto-immune disease. DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System. His family wanted to say thank you to nurses with programs that honor the compassionate and skillful care they provide patients and families every day. Honoring nurses with The DAISY Award® has evolved over the years to become a strategic tool in healthcare organizations and schools of nursing. The DAISY Foundation is committed to celebrating nurses wherever they may practice and throughout their career and recently has placed a special focus on further expanding recognition in the academic setting.
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DAISY academic recognition programs were created to recognize and celebrate the important contributions that nursing faculty and students make to patient care. Specifically:
The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Faculty
Inspired by a former Dean of Nursing who emphasized the importance of recognizing faculty for their impact and inspiration on the future practice of their students. In 2018 the American Association of Colleges of Nursing joined us in a National Call for Nurse Faculty Recognition. AACN encourages all stakeholders within nursing education, research, and practice to make honoring faculty a priority and highlight the critical work they do to elevate health and health care across the U.S. and around the world.
The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Students
Created by a student nurse association that wanted an ongoing reminder that nursing is not only tasks and technology but also about human relationships, this program recognizes students for compassionate care during clinical rotations. "Students who feel cared for and supported are more likely to 'pay it forward' in providing the same care and support to patients they care for, and to their colleagues in their work environments." Said Susan Groenwald, PhD, RN, ANEF, FAAN, Former President of Chamberlain University. We often hear from students that receiving this award was "special", "unexpected but greatly appreciated", "an honor" and "motivating". Said one recent recipient, "This year I received the DAISY Student Award, and it was the biggest honor. I have had the opportunity and pleasure to see many nurses that I truly look up to receive a DAISY Award, and to be presented with the DAISY Student Award at my pinning ceremony was an incredibly special moment. It has pushed me even further to be the kind of nurse who goes above and beyond for my patients as I begin my career. I am so looking forward to my future as a nurse." Raina Estrem, St. Catherine University.
How To Get Involved:
- Many of the schools of nursing we partner with administer and fund their own DAISY programs for faculty and students. However, many schools are still unaware of this recognition opportunity. We encourage our thousands of healthcare partners to reach out to the schools of nursing they work with and introduce them to The DAISY Foundation. We are happy to provide a letter of introduction and/or schedule a meeting if they are interested in learning more.
- Healthcare organizations can sponsor The DAISY Award for Faculty and/or Students at local schools of nursing. They choose if they want to administer the program or prefer them to do so. For example, Vidant Health in Greenville, NC pays for the DAISY Student Award at the 7 schools that they work with, and the schools run the program with guidance from The DAISY Foundation. Vidant's Chief Nursing Officer and others from the organization often attend many of the award celebrations.
- Alumni can sponsor DAISY at their school of nursing- a wonderful way for nurses to give back to the instructors who have had a lasting impact on their career and to the students who are just beginning their nursing career journey.
To learn more about supporting your local Nursing Faculty and Students, please contact us.