28 Mar DAISY Award: ED Nurse John Petrisin-Connelly Honored by OMC
Emergency services nurse John Petrisin-Connelly named DAISY Extraordinary Nurse.
Chief Nursing Officer Vickie Swanson, RN, BSN, MSN and Aaron Possin, RN, BSN, MSN, CEN director of emergency services, recently presented John Petrisin-Connelly, RN, with a DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses®. The award, created by the DAISY Foundation, recognizes the extraordinary, compassionate nursing care provided to patients and families every day.
Petrisin-Connelly was recognized for his work as an emergency services nurse. “John brings both joy and expertise to work each day,” said Possin. “He takes exceptional care of his patients and is always ready and willing to help anyone whenever the need may arise. His work is exceptional as is the mood he sets in the department. Staff lean on John as a resource and mentor, and he has the ability to instantly set his patient’s minds at ease.”
His brightness and high-level of care didn’t go unnoticed by a recent patient, who nominated John for the DAISY Award, writing:
“First, I should say I’m a 74-year-old male who had never been in a hospital in my life. I don’t think I’ve even been in an emergency room unless it was decades ago. Under these circumstances I had no clue what to expect, only that it was probably going to take a long time. I was in a fair amount of pain, so I was hoping for fast action!
It took a while to get things rolling but after some paperwork, I encountered John. Right from the get-go he had an air of confidence and an empathetic manner as he filled me in on procedures for evaluating my ailment. He made everything clear.
My opinion of John didn’t just come from my own interactions but also observing him for the seven hours we sat there. He never stopped! Whether in his little room during his duties, or out on the floor, he had a great presence. I hope I’m not getting carried away, but I’m going to call him the maestro – moving from patient to patient, helping with information, consoling, comforting and supplying warm blankets. Whatever he could do to be helpful, he was on it.
At one point he had to wheel a gentleman into the bathroom. His offer to help him was declined. But while he waited patiently by the door, he interacted with folks sitting nearby and before you knew it, there was laughter! Imagine laughter in the emergency room! He wasn’t cracking jokes or doing a standup routine, just his friendly, relaxed and helpful manner made everyone comfortable.
John got an IV started which helped and was a big psychological boost and said he would try to help with a CT scan. Finally, I went for the scan and found out I had an obstruction (ouch). He calmly but firmly told me I would not be going home that night and waited for a room upstairs. That was the last I saw of John, but his presence and manner made the whole experience a whole lot more tolerable than I was expecting.”
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.
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.