Bracey Ulin, RN, Recognized as Extraordinary Nurse

PORT ANGELES  (March 3, 2020) – Chief Nursing Officer Ralph Parker, RN, honored Bracey Ulin, RN, with a DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses® at Olympic Medical Cancer Center recently. The award, created by the DAISY Foundation, recognizes the extraordinary, compassionate nursing care provided to patients and families every day.

Ulin joined Olympic Medical Center as a registered nurse graduate in 2018 and was hired into surgical services, initially working in the short stay unit, then taking a full-time position in endoscopy.

A patient nominated Ulin for a DAISY award and wrote:

“I was a patient in the short stay unit scheduled for a procedure.  I was terrified and very emotional as I waited in the pre-op area.  When Bracey walked in to take me to the O.R., the whole room suddenly lit up with her beautiful smile.  She was so warm and loving with just the perfect amount of kindness and professionalism.  With her joyful banter, I could feel fear begin to subside.

“As she wheeled my bed down the hall to the O.R., I asked her to hold my hand when the anesthesia was starting, never really thinking she would have time.  As we entered the room I could feel her joy filling it as everyone busied themselves getting set up and ready to begin my procedure.

“As the anesthesia medication was starting to go in, I felt a hand slip into mine as I drifted off into sleep.  She remembered… she found the time!  That one thing, that one small act of kindness, is probably the one thing I will never forget about my experience.  Bracey was my angel watching over me that day and that gift is what makes her such a special nurse.”

Olympic Medical nurses may be nominated by patients, families and colleagues. Each honoree receives a certificate commending her or him as an “Extraordinary Nurse.”  The certificate 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.”  Honorees also receive a DAISY Award pin and a meaningful, hand-carved sculpture called A Healer’s Touch.

Go to www.olympicmedical.org/thank-a-nurse for more information and to nominate an extraordinary Olympic Medical Center nurse.

About the DAISY Foundation

The DAISY Foundation is a not-for-profit organization, established in memory of J. Patrick Barnes, by members of his family.  Patrick died at the age of 33 in late 1999 from complications of an auto-immune disease. (DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune SYstem.)  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 patient families. More information can be found at DAISYfoundation.org.

Pictured in feature photo, front row from left: Katrin Junghanns-Royack, RN, director, intensive care/telemetry unit, Joellyn Jensen, RN, manager, operating room/ post-anesthesia care unit, Ralph Parker, RN, chief nursing officer, Bracey Ulin, RN, endoscopy, short stay unit, Eric Lewis, chief executive officer, Dennis Kitchens, endoscopy tech, Rachel Baar, RN, endoscopy. Back row: Carol Kittrick, RN, liaison-referral-education coordinator, Olympic Medical Home Health, Mindy Stephens, RN, manager, short stay and endoscopy, Janeen Howell, RN, clinical supervisor, intensive care/telemetry unit, Julie Butterfield, RN, endoscopy, short stay unit, Zack Warren, endoscopy reprocessor, Jennifer Burkhardt, chief human resources officer and general counsel.