TUH-Main Campus nurse Iona Paul, RN recently earned the DAISY Award for the incredible compassion and care she shows her patients and their families, as this excerpt from her nomination shows:
“My mom recently suffered a large stroke, and through my moment of despair, Iona provided the light I needed to get out of my darkness. She made a connection with my mother that not even the doctors could make. She was patient—not only with my mother, but with me and my family. She kept open communication with us. She remained vigilant and, as an outsider looking in, I felt like she was treating my mother as one of her own family members.
I’m a nurse and this has all been very difficult. Iona made the process more bearable, and I found strength through her compassion. People have different reasons why they become nurses, but my family and I feel Iona was meant to be a nurse. This is truly her calling.
Each time Iona came to check on my mom, she came with a smile, and this positive energy just made me feel at ease. I have been blessed to have had her assigned to my mother, and I will never forget all that she has done. Any patient or family that has been or will be assigned to her will be blessed and in amazing hands. She is a phenomenal nurse and needs to be recognized for her hard work and the lasting impact she leaves on those she comes into contact with.”
The DAISY Award was established in memory of J. Patrick Barnes, who passed away from an autoimmune disease. The Barnes family was awestruck by the clinical skills, caring, and compassion of the nurses who cared for Patrick, and created this international award to say thank you to nurses everywhere.