Skip to main content

The DAISY & BEE Award for Extraordinary Nurses

If a particular staff member made your IRMC experience extra special, you can nominate that individual for a DAISY or BEE Award. The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses® can be given to a nurse at IRMC or any outpatient clinic, and the BEE Award can be given to any patient care partner, such as a nursing assistant or Emergency Department tech.


The DAISY Award

The DAISY Foundation was established in 1999 by the Barnes family who lost their son Patrick to complications from an auto-immune disease. DAISY actually stands for Diseases Attacking Immune SYstem. While he was hospitalized, Patrick’s family “deeply appreciated not only the immense clinical skills, but also the enormous compassion shown to Pat and his family by his nurses”. After his passing, Pat’s family wanted to find a way to honor nurses who not only possess excellent clinical skills, but also provide compassionate care. Thus, the DAISY award was created.

The DAISY Award is an international recognition program that honors and celebrates the skillful, compassionate care nurses provide every day.

Nomination boxes and nomination forms are located on the nursing units at IRMC. Nomination forms can also be mailed in. Nomination stories may be written by patients, visitors, physicians, and colleagues to honor a nurse who they feel has excellent clinical skills and delivers compassionate care. Six times a year, the Daisy Selection Committee will review blinded nomination forms and select the DAISY award honoree. Our first Honoree will be recognized in summer 2021.

The honoree selected at IRMC will receive a hand-carved “Healer’s Touch” sculpture, a DAISY Honoree pin, and an award certificate. A surprise celebration will be held to announce the Honoree where the Nominee will be presented with their certificate, sculpture, and pin. The nomination story will be read at that time and the unit where the nurse works will receive cinnamon rolls (Pat’s favorite) as part of the celebration!

The Daisy Team Award is presented once a year to recognize that while an idea to achieve better patient and family outcomes may start with one individual, it often takes an entire team to implement successfully. The DAISY Team Award is designed to honor collaboration by two or more individuals, led by a nurse, who identify and meet patient/patient family needs by going above the traditional role of nursing.

The DAISY Nurse Leader Award is also presented once a year to shine a light on those who do not typically have direct patient care as part of their work, as well as those who create an environment where compassionate, skillful care thrives. In many healthcare facilities, this award is used to recognize nurse managers, directors, charge nurses, educators, chief nursing officers, preceptors, informatics nurses, and similar.

Nominate a nurse, leader, or team!

The BEE Award

IRMC has established the BEE (Be Excellent Everyday) Award in 2023 to recognize our Patient Care Partners (Nursing Assistants and Emergency Department Techs) who provide extraordinary care and compassion to our patients. Many of these individuals go above and beyond their daily duties to make an impact on the patient experience.

Just as the Daisy Award honors registered nurses for their skillful and compassionate care, the BEE Award honors the Nursing Assistants and ED Techs. The Daisy and BEE work together to provide the best patient care possible.

We encourage staff, patients, and families to nominate those Nursing Assistants/ED Techs that have displayed compassionate care, demonstrated excellent clinical skills, demonstrated our ICARE Values (Integrity, Compassion, Accountability, Respect, and Excellence), and have made a difference in the life of a patient.

The selected honoree will receive a BEE Honoree pin, award certificate and flowers, and will be announced on their designed unit during a surprise celebration.

Nominate a patient care partner!


DAISY & BEE Award Recipients

DAISY Award

February 2023, Brenda Cribbs

Nurses like Brenda Cribbs advocate for their patients when patients cannot advocate for themselves. In the fall of 2021, first time mom Lindsey was to deliver her baby at a neighboring hospital, but didn't make it there due to the severity of complications she began to experience. That's when Lindsey met Brenda.

"When I arrived at IRMC, I was terrified. I didn’t know any doctors and I was just about to deliver my first baby knowing I was having serious complications. Brenda was clear with me that they would not let anything happen to me or my baby on her watch. She meant it. The emergency C-section saved my life and my daughter. Doctors were planning for an emergency hysterectomy, but Brenda explored the idea of conservative treatment. The doctor listened to her and for that very reason, I am alive today and I still have the opportunity to have other children in the future because of her. She is the reason that I get to experience life as a mother. She is the true definition of an advocate. I know she makes every mother in labor & delivery heard and cared for the way they deserve during some of the most vulnerable times. Brenda is truly a God send and I am thankful for her!"

November 2022, Morgan Strait

Day and night, registered nurse Morgan Strait cares for patients in our Intensive Care Unit.

Recently, Morgan interacted with a patient who unexpectedly needed to spend the night in the ICU. The patient said of Morgan, "Despite my age, I’m a pretty active person and I HATE to be tied down or restricted in any way. I’m not the most patient patient. Fortunately for me, I had a nurse in the ICU named Morgan who was very understanding. She spent time with me when I felt anxious and insisted that I wanted to leave. Morgan was heaven sent. I feel blessed that she was my nurse that night. She is a credit to IRMC."

August 2022, Kim Thomas

Working as a Case Manager, Kim Thomas always goes above and beyond. Kim answers phones, answers call bells, and supports the floor staff in any way she can. Kim always asks if there is anything more she can do to help.

One specific patient required a transfer to another facility. Kim made it her personal mission to see that this patient received the care they deserved. Kim’s help was instrumental in obtaining a bed and getting the transport set up quickly to save this patient’s life, freeing up the care team to tend to the patient.

"Without Kim’s assistance, there would have been one less person caring for the patient and likely would have delayed the transfer."

May 2022, Tanya Altimus

During Nurses Week 2022, the Emergency Department team gathered to surprise Tanya with the May 2022 DAISY Award. A coworker of Tanya's said, "Every patient who walks into the Emergency Department and comes into contact with Tanya gets great care, regardless of their life choices or socioeconomic background." In a nomination letter on Tanya's behalf, the individual recalled a story where Tanya used her prior expertise as a phlebotomist to assist a patient. Not only did Tanya help the very emotional patient, but she spent a long time at the bedside, talking to and reassuring them that they are worthy. The patient, who may have otherwise left IRMC against medical advice, was admitted to the hospital and received the care she desperately needed.

When recalling the events that ensued that evening, Tanya's co-worker stated, "She (the patient) had a lot of nice things to say about Tanya and our hospital after this experience; I believe this made a difference, not only in the patient’s experience that evening, but also a difference in her life and her faith in healthcare. I believe that wherever this patient is right now, she knows that she can come to IRMC for help, thanks to Tanya’s care that day."

March 2022, Jeff Stewart

"Jeff is one of the best nurses I’ve ever had the pleasure to work with. He is the prime example of what a nurse should be. Jeff shows compassion to all patients, their families, and our staff. Jeff is known throughout IRMC for his willingness to help his fellow co-workers." These are just a few examples of why Jeff Stewart, a nurse on the medical supportive care unit, was nominated for the March 2022 DAISY Award. As an exemplary nurse, Jeff's co-workers say he is an "inspiration to others" and is always there when you need a hand. Jeff is described as trustable, dependable and an advocate for his patients.

November 2021, Pam Waltemire

Whatever the shift — day or night, weekend or weekday — extraordinary IRMC nurses are hard at work. Early one Monday morning, colleagues gathered to surprise Pam Waltemire with the November 2021 DAISY Award. Pam, a nurse on 7th telemetry, was nominated by the spouse of a patient, not only for her extraordinary care, but for seemingly simple acts that were incredibly meaningful to the family. The patients family stated, "Pam was very upbeat and pleasant. I’d like to know where she gets that much energy at 1:00 a.m. She was extremely patient with me as I explained the situation. She didn’t rush me and I could tell she was actively listening to and engaged in what I was saying. At one point, I realized I was repeating something I had already told her. She didn’t seem to mind a bit!" During the celebration, Pam's colleague said, "She definitely deserves it. She loves all of her patient’s whether she has them for 5 minutes or 5 days."

September 2021, Holly Gearhart

Nursing presented the first ever DAISY Award to Holly Gearhart, an outstanding nurse on 6th medical. Holly was recognized by a patient's family for the care and compassion she provided to their loved one. When Holly was presented with the award among her collages (and special guest in attendance, her daughter who is currently following in her mother's footsteps as a nurse) she said, "The entire unit deserves this award!"

The patients daughter-in-law said of Holly, "Holly, of course, is an excellent nurse! Very knowledgeable and very good at her job. But along with her expertise she holds a very caring spirit in her heart. We could feel that spirit each time she walked into our room."

BEE Award

Coming soon!

This Week in Health

This Week in Health delivers the latest health news to your inbox every Friday.