Hunterdon Health Nurse Receives The DAISY Award® For Extraordinary Nurses

Maternity and Newborn Care Center nurses, Laurie Angele, RN and Cheyenne Pinto, RN received the Daisy Award from Hunterdon Health.  The award is part of the DAISY Foundation’s program to recognize the clinical skill and the compassion nurses provide to patients and families every day. 

A patient’s family wrote, “Laurie and Cheyenne were both incredible nurses. We found out at 27 weeks that our baby's heart stopped beating. I was told to head over to the hospital that evening to get induced and give birth to our sleeping daughter. What was anticipated to be a one-night stay, turned into a four-night stay, with a D&C, blood transfusion, and 1 night in the ICU. Both ladies helped me through this extremely tough time, providing me with amazing support and comfort. Not only did they take care of me medically, but they chatted with me about every-day things (dogs and puppies), and life in general. They were able to make me smile and even laugh during one of the toughest times. They walked me through what to do with our baby and what the process was. They both made me feel so incredibly special and strong. I don't know that I could have gotten through it as well as I did without them both. Laurie and Cheyenne both deserve the DAISY award because they are incredible nurses, wonderful people, and strong beacons of light during a difficult time.” 

The not-for-profit DAISY Foundation is based in Glen Ellen, CA, and was established by family members in memory of J. Patrick Barnes.  Patrick died at the age of 33 in late 1999 from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), a little known but not uncommon auto-immune disease.  The care Patrick 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 patients’ families.

Bonnie Barnes, FAAN, President and Co-Founder of The DAISY Foundation said, “When Patrick was critically ill, our family experienced first-hand the remarkable skill and care nurses provide patients every day and night. Yet these unsung heroes are seldom recognized for the super-human work they do.  The kind of work the nurses throughout Hunterdon Health are called on to do every day epitomizes the purpose of The DAISY Award.”

The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses has been adopted by 3,500 health care facilities and schools of nursing in all 50 states and 21 other countries, committed to honoring their nurses for their extraordinary care and compassion.  Individual nurses may be nominated by patients, families, and colleagues and they are chosen by a Hunterdon Health committee.

“We are proud to be among the healthcare organizations participating in the DAISY Award program.  Nurses are heroes every day.  It’s important that our nurses know their work is highly valued, and The DAISY Foundation provides a way for us to do that,” explained Chief Nursing Officer and Vice President of Patient Care Services, Mary Jo Loughlin, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, Hunterdon Health.

DAISY Award recipients are presented with a certificate, a DAISY Award pin, a beautiful hand-carved serpentine stone sculpture from Zimbabwe, and a spotlight page on The DAISY Foundation website, featuring a photo and telling the story of why this nurse was honored. 

At each award presentation, all the nurses and staff in the recipient’s unit are treated to cinnamon rolls. The reason?  Once, Patrick ate his father’s cinnamon roll when he was in the hospital without an appetite for food.  He then requested one for the next day – and enough for all the nurses in the unit.

To nominate a nurse who works for Hunterdon Health or to learn more, visit https://www.hunterdonhealth.org/services/careers/nursing-careers/daisy-award.