We are pleased to announce the most recent UAB Medicine DAISY Award, recognizing the extraordinary care and compassion that nurses provide for patients and families every day. Submissions and stories are reviewed each month, and the winner is surprised at a special ceremony. You can submit a DAISY nurse nomination using this online form.
Click here to view more photos from the award presentation.
Congratulations to the most recent winner, Kelsi Sisk, RN. Below, a colleague explains what makes Kelsi worthy of a DAISY Award.
“I am honored to nominate this extraordinary nurse, Kelsi Sisk, for her unwavering commitment to nursing excellence in leadership. She consistently goes above and beyond to provide the highest level of care. Her dedication to her coworkers is evident as she performs extra duties every shift to support other nurses and nursing staff, ensuring a collaborative and efficient work environment. Her commitment to her patients shines even brighter. Kelsi understands that working in the psychiatric environment can sometimes lead to frustration and burnout, but she never allows her work to diminish the quality of care that she or her colleagues provide. She has significantly impacted our unit by educating her peers on why patients behave the way they do and the importance of providing compassionate care to such a vulnerable patient population. Her gentle reminders help us all to stay grounded and remember the importance of treating our patients with dignity and respect.
Every shift I work with Kelsi, I gain valuable insights that enhance my attitude, clinical practice, or knowledge. One specific example is when I saw Kelsi surpass expectations by crafting a comprehensive safety plan for a patient diagnosed with borderline personality disorder who was about to be discharged. Individuals with this diagnosis are at a higher risk to self-harm, and such safety plans significantly reduce that risk by helping patients avoid making impulsive, risky decisions. This demonstrated how deeply Kelsi cares for her patients and is committed to their success even after they leave her care. This is just one of many practices I have learned from working alongside her. Kelsi provides the same dedication to people no matter the diagnosis. The diagnosis of borderline personality disorder can sometimes be viewed in a negative light, so I believe it is significant to highlight how Kelsi is leading the transformation to turn these negative perceptions into positive perceptions.
Her leadership and commitment to excellence make her an invaluable asset to our team. UAB Medicine should be incredibly proud to call her a member of our team. Her dedication and excellence will undoubtedly make a lasting impression in the world of nursing, and everyone will know she is a product of this esteemed institution. Thank you for considering Kelsi Sisk for the DAISY Award. I am confident that her contributions to our unit and her unwavering dedication to her patients make her an exemplary candidate for this prestigious recognition.”