Beebe gives DAISY Award to extraordinary nurse Daniel Pauley

Daniel Pauley, RN, a nurse on Beebe Healthcare’s intensive care unit, has been honored with this quarter’s DAISY Award as part of the DAISY Foundation’s national program to recognize the superhuman efforts nurses make every day.

Pauley received the DAISY Award because of the care and support he provided to both a patient and the patient’s husband.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the patient was unable to have visitors while in the ICU. The patient’s husband said Daniel went above and beyond to help them both during that difficult time.

“He was one of my lifelines to my husband and called me many times,” the patient’s husband wrote about Daniel in the nomination letter. “Daniel would always tell my husband that I was outside, even though I wasn’t, because he wanted him to know I was near, all the time.”

One day, Daniel asked the patient’s husband a few questions about what might make the patient feel better. The responses indicated a head massage or listening to his favorite song would help the patient, so Daniel and another nurse played the song “A Groovy Kind of Love” by Phil Collins while they massaged his head. The patient responded well, sat up in bed and smiled.

“You’re not going to get that in a big city hospital. You just aren’t,” said the patient’s husband. “This is what makes Beebe so different and so very special. It is everyone’s deep, genuine compassion for their patients and their families. I firmly believe he is here today because of the excellent care and incredible compassion we both received at Beebe Healthcare.”

Pauley was presented with a DAISY Award certificate and a hand-carved Healer’s Touch sculpture during a recent surprise, socially distant ceremony. Each DAISY honoree receives the statue and the certificate, which commends the honoree for being an extraordinary nurse. It 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 nonprofit DAISY Foundation is based in Glen Ellen, Calif., and was established by family members in memory of J. Patrick Barnes. He died at the age of 33 in 1999 from complications of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, a little-known but not uncommon autoimmune disease. The care Barnes 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.

Nurses may be nominated by patients, families, and colleagues, and they are chosen by a committee of nurses at Beebe Healthcare to receive the DAISY Award. Awards are given throughout the year and presented in front of the nurse’s colleagues, physicians, patients, and visitors.

“Beebe is proud to be among the healthcare organizations participating in the DAISY Award program,” said Lynne Voskamp, vice president and chief nursing officer. “Nurses are on the front lines of patient care every day. Now more than ever, it’s important that our nurses know their work is highly valued, and the DAISY Foundation provides a way for us to do that.”

To nominate a Beebe nurse for the DAISY Award, go to beebehealthcare.org/forms/daisy-award. For more information, go to daisyfoundation.org.