February 1, 2013 (Modesto, CA) – Three nurses at Doctors Medical Center are being honored with The DAISY Award For Extraordinary Nurses. The award is part of the DAISY Foundation's program to recognize the super-human efforts nurses perform every day. The honorees are Katrina Aguirre (Labor & Delivery), Lynda Aja (ER), and Rajinder Prakash (4 South). The nurses were honored for their compassionate care, concern, and dedication to patient health.
Katrina Aguirre was recognized for assisting an Emergency Department patient when she was called to assist a woman whose prematurely-delivered baby did not survive. Katrina provided grief and loss support and eventually arranged for the patient to be admitted to the postpartum floor where she could continue to receive support for her loss.
Lynda Aja was triaging patients in the ER when she was presented with a pregnant woman whose umbilical cord was protruding and being pinched by her baby’s head. Lynda stabilized the situation and assisted through transport to the Labor & Delivery Department, where the patient safely delivered a premature baby.
Rajinder Prakash was nominated by a patient for her tireless assistance as the patient recovered from mastectomy surgery. She called Rajinder “an angel” for providing reassurance during her entire shift.
Each quarter, three nurses are selected by a committee of their peers to receive The DAISY Award. At a presentation given in front of the nurse’s colleagues, physicians, patients, and visitors, the honoree will receive a certificate commending her or him for being an "Extraordinary Nurse." The certificate reads: "In deep appreciation of all you do, who you are, and the incredibly meaningful difference you make in the lives of so many people." The honoree will also be given a beautiful and meaningful sculpture called A Healer’s Touch, hand-carved by artists of the Shona Tribe in Africa.
The not-for-profit DAISY Foundation is based in Glen Ellen, CA, and was established by family members in memory of J. Patrick Barnes. Patrick died at the age of 33 in late 1999 from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), a little known but not uncommon auto-immune disease. 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 patient families.
Each quarter, three nurses will be selected by Doctors Medical Center’s nursing administration to receive The DAISY Award. At a presentation given in front of the nurse’s colleagues, physicians, patients, and visitors, the honoree will receive a certificate commending her or him for being an "Extraordinary Nurse." The certificate reads: "In deep appreciation of all you do, who you are, and the incredibly meaningful difference you make in the lives of so many people." The honoree will also be given a beautiful and meaningful sculpture called A Healer’s Touch, hand-carved by artists of the Shona Tribe in Africa.
One day while Pat was in the hospital, he asked his family to bring him a Cinnabon® cinnamon roll plus enough for all the nurses in his unit. With the help of Cinnabon’s parent company, FOCUS Brands, The DAISY Foundation carries on this tradition by serving Cinnabons to all the nurses in the Award recipient’s unit in thanks for everything they do for their patients and families.
Said Bonnie Barnes, President and Co-Founder of The DAISY Foundation, "When Patrick was critically ill, our family experienced first-hand the remarkable skill and care nurses provide patients every day and night. Yet these unsung heroes are seldom recognized for the super-human work they do. The kind of work the nurses at Doctors Medical Center are called on to do every day epitomizes the purpose of The DAISY Award.
This is one initiative of The DAISY Foundation whose overall goal is to help fight diseases of the immune system. Additionally, DAISY offers J. Patrick Barnes Grants for Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice Projects and provides assistance to ITP support groups. More information is available on their website www.DAISYfoundation.org.
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Celebrating its 50th year in 2012, Doctors Medical Center of Modesto, part of Tenet California, is a 461-bed acute care hospital located at 1441 Florida Ave. in Modesto, Calif. Doctors Medical Center offers a wide range of services, including the cardiology, neurology, emergency and trauma services, women and children’s services, orthopedics, medical/surgical, behavioral health, oncology and critical/intensive care.
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