This month’s DAISY Award winner is Ryan Whitesell, an RN in our 3ICU area. He was nominated by the family member of a patient who experienced significant loss yet found solace in the kindness and compassion towards their family, stating in part: “… Ryan was my dad’s nurse on Friday and Saturday. He was very kind and wanted to explain everything to us in detail. He provided updates, and the manner in which he spoke to us was very soothing. He would go in the room and just sit with my mom and talk about whatever she wanted to talk about. He checked on my mom, often asking if she needed anything. He was present- you could tell he was sincere and that he genuinely cared about our family. When it came time to take my dad off the vent, it was Ryan who, once again, calmly walked us through what would happen, and he said, you just tell me when you are ready. Then he sat with my mom again. At one point, he even said, “thank you for sharing your stories about your husband with me. I wish I would have had the chance to know him before all of this happened.” That statement just touched me because- again, he was present and genuine and kind as if my dad was his own family member and his only patient.”

The nationwide DAISY award program recognizes the exceptional clinical skills and compassion shown by nurses. To nominate a nurse, or learn more about this program visit bit.ly/Riverside_Daisy