Karen Clapp, RN, was honored with the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses at Sarah Bush Lincoln on December 2.
Clapp was nominated for going above and beyond to provide compassionate care to her patients. Her nominator shared the following story:
“Karen is a wonderful nurse on 2 East. She works very hard to provide the best care for her patients. She treats her patients and their family members with the utmost respect, compassion, and kindness. She is consistent and very thorough with every patient she interacts with. She is an active listener ¬– and she has a way of lessening someone’s fear simply by listening intently to their concerns. I have seen first-hand her critical thinking abilities. She worked very quickly to tend to a patient that was declining and stayed by that patient’s side, even when the patient was transferred to a different unit. Her positive attitude shines in every patient interaction as well as with anyone in which she comes into contact.
Karen is a valuable team member for this hospital. You can tell from her appearance and attitude that she takes the greatest pride in her job. She is a wonderful advocate for her patients and communicates well with medical providers to ensure each patient gets the best possible care. I constantly see her going above and beyond, not only for her own patients, but for those on her unit. She treats everyone, and every job, as equal. She is the sweetest, most dedicated nurse I have met. She truly deserves this award! I cannot think of a more friendly, compassionate, kind-hearted person that deserves this award!”
Sarah Bush Lincoln has joined more than 2,700 healthcare facilities by becoming a DAISY Award hospital partner. During the award presentation, Clapp received a certificate, a DAISY Award pin and a unique, hand-carved serpentine stone sculpture from Zimbabwe, entitled, “A Healer’s Touch.”
The DAISY Award was established in memory of J. Patrick Barnes, who died at 33 of complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), a little known but not uncommon auto-immune disease. (DAISY is an acronym for diseases attacking the immune system.) The care Patrick and his family received from nurses while he was ill inspired this unique means of thanking nurses for making a profound difference in the lives of their patients and families. Patients, visitors, nurses, physicians and other employees may nominate a deserving nurse for The Daisy Award and a nurse will be selected by SBL’s DAISY committee every month to received this special honor.
Nomination forms are located at www.sarahbush.org and at all SBL clinics and on patient floors. The forms can be submitted to any Sarah Bush Lincoln staff member, or sent via email to [email protected] or mail to Sarah Bush Lincoln, DAISY Nursing Award, 1000 Health Center Drive, Mattoon, IL 61938. For more information, SBL DAISY interim coordinator, Tracey McCord, RN, at (217) 238-4987 or [email protected].