Two nurses at Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital, as well as those staffing an inpatient unit, were honored recently with DAISY awards for their superhuman work while caring for and comforting those who are ill. This year’s recipient of the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses is Scotty Blanchard, RN. The first-ever recipient of the hospital’s DAISY Nurse Leader Award is Jessica Carver, RN. The Acute Care Unit, which is managed by Carver, received the hospital’s first-ever DAISY Team Award.
DAISY Nurse: Blanchard has cared for patients in the hospital’s emergency department for the past five years. One of his recent patients was suffering extreme pain following a treatment for terminal cancer. The patient’s sibling submitted an award nomination for Blanchard which reads, in part: “Scotty was the kindest, most caring nurse ever. He realized immediately that there was no medical cure for my sister and led her down the gentle path of end-of-life care (hospice), where she wouldn’t have to endure her pain and would have quality of life. Scotty spent a lot of time with her and gave her so much comfort. And then, after she got into a room and saw a doctor, Scotty came back in to give my sister a hug, apologize for the pain she had been suffering, and wished her well.
Needless to say, there wasn’t a dry eye in the room. Please share this with
Scotty and let him know how deeply touched our family was to have him in our life!”
Blanchard was selected from the top three finalists, who were among five dozen nurses
receiving DAISY nominations. The other two finalists were Sage Novik, RN, and Cassie
Anderson, RN, both of whom work in the Intensive Care Unit. Blanchard received a DAISY pin, award certificate and a hand-carved stone sculpture titled “A Healer’s Touch.” Along with the public recognition, DAISY award winners receive financial discounts for nursing certification training; reduced tuition for continued education; conference scholarship opportunities; and are eligible for the national DAISY Award.
DAISY Nurse Leader: Carver was hired as a staff nurse on night shift in 1999, soon moved into
the charge nurse position and then into the role of clinical coordinator. She was named
assistant department manager in 2008 then promoted to department manager in 2010.
In the nomination for Carver, Sam Jones, vice president of Patient Care Services at SPCH, stated that Carver often takes the lead in systemwide and hospital-specific projects, committees and regulatory surveys. The rest of the nomination reads, in part:
“Jessica takes incredible pride in her work, her team and the communities we serve. Her
passion and dedication are second to none.
She has demonstrated dedication, commitment, preciseness, creativity and leadership skills effectively. She is an incredible asset and example to her staff. She is able to step into a clinical role at a moment’s notice and can often be found at the nurses station with her staff, or at the bedside caring for a patient and their family.” “She is communicative and transparent with her team and involves them in unit decision-making and problem-solving – a true example of leadership. She is a valuable resource to both her staff and peers alike, is a staunch patient and employee advocate, and has the full trust of the senior executive team. In a nutshell, SPCH would not be what it is today without her.”
