2009 DAISY Award Winners
Here's a complete listing of the DAISY Award winners at Children's Hospital Los Angeles for 2009. Continue reading or jump to the winners by using the menu on the far right. December 2009: Sofia Martin, RNThese are the kind words Sofia’s nominator had to say about her: "Sofia is the first staff person that the patients see and she makes every patient and parent so comfortable before their treatment." "She is all about the patients and does everything she can to make them happy. She never comes in with a bad or negative mood. She's always helpful and tried to help however she can." "She's a great person to work with and we wouldn’t trade her for any nurse. She’s the best I’ve ever met." Back to Top
November 2009: La Toya Wells, RN BSNLa Toya Wells, RN, BSN, has become the latest DAISY Award recipient for November. La Toya now joins the many other nurses across the United States and internationally who have been honored each month with this prestigious national award. She received the Healers Touch statue, a living daisy plant, a DAISY Award pin, a certificate and the praise of her co-workers. Staff membes and friends gathered to give her a cheerful and warm celebration. Since every nurse who receives The DAISY Award reminds us that her/his entire team is deserving of recognition and that it takes a team to provide great patient care, all the nurses and staff in the recipients unit are treated to Cinnabon cinnamon rolls at each presentation.
October 2009: Elizabeth Martinez, RNLiz’s nominator had these special things to say about her: “About a month ago, a Radiology patient’s mother left a voicemail comment about Liz. The voicemail was nearly three minutes long." "It started off a little rough; the appointment time was miscommunicated, the family arrived too early and had to wait what seemed like forever. The mom said that by the time she made it to the Radiology nurses’ station, she thought she was going to lose it." "But she didn’t." "Why? A kind nurse smiled and said that she was sorry for the mix-up and asked what could she do to help the family." "Liz’s smile and acknowledgement melted the mother’s frosty demeanor and diffused the anger instantly. The message went on to praise Liz for her patience, understanding and attentiveness." "The parent stated that even on the drive home, in traffic, the good feeling Liz left the family with persisted. Liz had turned what was looking to be a family destined for a bad experience into a family so happy that LA traffic didn’t seem to faze them. Maybe ‘miracle worker’ should be added to the list of Liz’s attributes."
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Nancy Bridges, RN, MBA, CNOR |
August 2009: Nancy Bridges, RN, MBA, CNOR
Nancy’s nominator had these kind words to say about her:
“Nancy has been an employee at our hospital for so many years and has held important managerial positions in the Perioperative Services:
- PACU nurse manager
- Operating Room nurse manager
- Surgical Admitting nurse manager
- Materials Management manager
"She even acted as the director of Perioperative Services when that position was vacated without further notice, and it was a long time before she was replaced."
“She continuously ran that place smoothly until a new director was hired. She has always done a terrific job wherever she is needed to fill in. Without her, the operating room would have been in chaos during those times."
“She is there when you need her without fail. She is a very sensitive, caring person, and such a dedicated nurse. She is a great asset to the Perioperative area and a terrific role model. I highly recommend her for a DAISY Award."
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Beth Nakamura, RN, BSN |
July 2009: Beth Nakamura, RN, BSN
Beth Nakamura, RN, BSN (PACU) was described in her nomination form as:
"Beth Nakamura exemplifies who I want to be as a person, friend and nurse."
"When she walks in the door at work, she always says a cheery Good morning for everyone. She always has a smile on her face that can brighten up a room. You can always count on her as a friend."
"If someone in the PACU is expecting a baby, getting married or having a significant life milestone, Beth is the first person to organize something to help celebrate the event. When the PACU is having a bad day, she sometimes buys a dozen cookies at McDonald's or buys ice cream for an impromptu ice cream social to help cheer up the unit. You can count on her to give you good advice, to make you laugh, and to lend an ear. As a nurse, I couldnt think of a better role model than Beth."
"When a child wakes up from anesthesia crying, Beth is at the childs bedside, and you can hear her saying, "Its okay, love. Mommy and Daddy are coming soon." When worried parents come to the bedside, Beth talks to them in such a reassuring way that when its time for the patient to be discharged, the whole family is happy and relieved. You can hear them laughing out the door."
"She is also very knowledgeable. She knows everything from Teletubbies to the pathophysiology of a hypoplastic heart. She is equally eager to learn and to teach. She has been a preceptor to a number of RN residents and new hires, and is such a patient teacher because she truly cares about the person she is teaching and what she is teaching. She wants to ensure that the nurse she is teaching is successful."
June 2009: Karen Tsuchida, RN, BSN
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Karen Tsuchida, RN, BSN |
Karen Tsuchida, RN, BSN, was named the June winner of the prestigious DAISY Award at Children's Hospital Los Angeles in a surprise ceremony on June 15.
Karen’s nominator had some kind words to say about her: “Karen has been employed at CHLA since November 1985. She has been on 6 East since she started, and has worked in various roles: staff nurse, charge nurse, assistant nurse manager and CN III. Currently she is an RN III on the night shift.
“Karen certainly exhibits the characteristics of a DAISY nurse: She works collaboratively with the physicians and other nursing staff. But her strength is helping the new nurses. She is a preceptor for the new RN residents as well as experienced new hires. And after they have graduated from the program, she continues to help them. Her expertise with the patient population seen on 6E is indispensable and she readily shares this expertise with the newer staff. She is always willing to answer questions and never tires of educating newer people."
“Karen is active in committee work on 6E. She is one of the coordinators of the Mock Code Task Force. This work group is continuously working to help nursing staff become more comfortable in patient emergency situations. She has been active on this committee for many years and shows the same enthusiasm that she did when she first started.”
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Ana Cabrales, RN, BSN |
May 2009: Ana Cabrales, RN, BSN
In an early morning ceremony on May 29, Ana Cabrales, RN, BSN (CTICU), was named the latest DAISY Award recipient at Children's Hospital Los Angeles.
Sleepy-eyed nightshift co-workers stayed late past their shifts to honor a friend and colleague described as a nurse with:
“Outstanding compassion toward others and repect for her patients’ personal preferences and religious beliefs.”
Several members of Ana’s family were on hand to surprise her.
As soon as word traveled in her unit that she had won, the conference room quickly filled to the brim with Ana’s many friends and well-wishers.
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Irene Ramos-Klecha, RN, MSN |
April 2009: Irene Ramos-Klecha, RN, MSN
Described by a colleague as someone who “exemplifies kindness, compassion, teamwork, commitment to her profession and an unwavering sense of professionalism that cannot be adequately described", Irene is highly respected by her colleagues and develops special bonds with the patients and families for whom she cares.
A colleague noted in the nomination form that Irene’s job “puts her in the position to support couples who have just received the news that the baby they are carrying in the womb has multiple and most-often life-threatening anomalies."
"Not only because she is bicultural, but because of who she is, Irene is able to offer comfort that few others would be able to offer. She takes these broken hearts into her arms and holds them and nurtures them in whatever way they can receive her gifts.”
Irene’s co-workers arranged for the surprise to occur in the middle of a scheduled meeting. Irene looked up to see her husband walking through the door and a smile spread across her face as Mary Dee Hacker, RN, MBA, VP Patient Care Services and chief nursing officer, made the announcement of her win.
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Sue Martinez, RN, BSN |
March 2009: Sue Martinez, RN, BSN
Sue Martinez was our DAISY Award winner for March in an emotional ceremony on March 19. Her husband and other members of her family were sneaked into the hospital to surprise her. Her co-workers also brought a cake and a full spread of homemade treats to share.
Each month in numerous hospitals and medical facilities around the country, Award recipients are chosen by their nurse administrators, peers, physicians, patients and families to receive this honor. As of December 2008, more than 3,000 nurses have received The DAISY Award.
Since every nurse who receives The DAISY Award reminds us that her/his entire team is deserving of recognition and that it takes a team to provide great patient care, all the nurses and staff in the recipient's unit are treated to Cinnabon® cinnamon rolls at each presentation. Every DAISY nurse also is presented with a daisy plant, a certificate, a special DAISY Award pin and a “Healer’s Touch” statue, handmade by artisans in Zimbabwe. Each smooth, stone sculpture is uniquely hand-carved and is a work of art.
One of Sue’s nominators had these kind words to say about her:
“Sue is such a special person. She is such a wonderful nurse and she helps us all be better because of how positive she is. Her relationship with her patients is heart-warming. Families love her. She connects with such a way that they continue to come and visit her years after they have been here. She truly believes in family-centered care and works by the philosophy that every patient is unique and special. She is a role model for new and experienced nurses, and I love to work with her because she is so positive and insightful. I wish I could be like her in every way. To see the families be so happy when she cares for them is so touching. You feel how special she is when you witness all of her patients' eyes look at her with love and gratitude!”
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Camille Susca, RN |
Camille Susca, RN is one of those people who everyone likes. This quality became even more evident at the early morning announcement on February 19 that she had won that month’s DAISY Award.
Camille was showered with attention, gifts and praise from her co-workers, friends and family as CHLA once again honored one of our extraordinary nurses with The DAISY Award.
One of Camille’s nominators shares this example of Camille’s sunny disposition and calming influence: “We were busy in the ASC [Ambulatory Surgery Center] and chaos was the order of the day. Camille had this sincere smile on her face all day. She continued to help everyone and kept a smile on her face despite all the crying from the kids and the stress of having to handle so many admissions.
“She is truly the epitome of a pediatric nurse, with her gentle ways and her ‘motherly’ manner. We always know it will be a good day when she’s around. She is one of my mentors and I feel so fortunate to work with her!”
Another nominator had these kind words: “Camille has to be one of the brightest parts of coming to work each day, and I know I share this with the rest of my PACU colleagues. She greets us all with a hearty, ‘Good morning, my friend,’ and she means it! Her capacity for caring is an inspiration. Her smile and contagious laugh have the ability to turn around the most hectic and stress-filled shifts on a dime.
“She is consistently helpful and ready to assist with even the most trivial of tasks. She is warm and caring to all families. On numerous occasions, she has stepped in to assist in different life-threatening situations with competent and calm eyes and hands. Her long experience – in many different CHLA departments – is a constant valuable resource to us all.
“Even when her new grandchild was sick in the NICCU, she came to work and gave 110 percent. I find her optimistic attitude about work and life infectious. She is a treasure and a pleasure to work with and to know.”
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Lisa Rizzi-Wagner, RN, BSN, CCRN |
A hush falls over the crowded conference room as co-workers and well-wishers lie in wait for the newest of our nurses to be told she has won The DAISY Award.
Lisa Rizzi-Wagner, RN, BSN, CCRN (CTICU) walks in – totally unsuspecting – and a grin begins to spread over her face at the sight of her friends and family. Lisa was honored as The DAISY Award winner for January in an emotional ceremony on January 29th.
Her husband and daughters were sneaked into the hospital to surprise her. Her co-workers also brought a cake and other goodies to share.
One of Lisa’s nominators had these kind words to say about her: “One of CHLA’s core values is family-centered care, and when I think of the kind of nurse that I aspire to be in this department, I think of Lisa.
"She is not from a Spanish-speaking background, but specifically learned Spanish so she could better communicate with our Spanish-speaking patients and families. She is always thinking of opportunities for parents to bond with their newborn infants (a large population in the CTICU). She often offers and encourages parents to hold their intubated babies...."