Hunterdon Health Nurses Receives The DAISY Award® For Extraordinary Nurses

Katelyn Laeyt, BSN, RN, PACU, received the Daisy Award for 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 wrote, “I would like to nominate Katelyn Laeyt, RN, for the DAISY Award in recognition of her extraordinary compassion and care during my recovery from a bilateral prophylactic mastectomy and three associated surgical procedures over the past four months.  Each time I awoke from surgery, I was fortunate to hear Katelyn’s soft, reassuring voice, letting me know I was okay and encouraging me to take my time. Her presence alone provided a sense of calm and security during a vulnerable time.

When I returned for my second surgery, Katelyn was there to greet me. I shared with her how much she had impacted my first recovery, and once again, she made me feel safe and cared for. Though she had left by the time I awoke, I found a personal note from her filled with positivity and encouragement—an incredible act of kindness that lifted my spirits.

For my final surgery, Katelyn was once again by my side, offering the same warmth and reassurance that had meant so much to me before. She later visited me in the ICU and again when I transitioned to a hospital room, taking the time to talk, share stories, and bring comfort beyond her clinical duties. In those moments, I didn’t just feel like a patient—I felt like I had a friend who truly cared about me and my healing journey.”

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.