31 May DAISY Award: Registered nurse Emily Kauffman honored by OMC
Medical/Surgical/Pediatrics RN Emily Kauffman named DAISY Extraordinary Nurse

Chief Nursing Officer Vickie Swanson, RN, BSN, MSN and Denise Harman, MSN, RN, director of medical/surgical/pediatrics, recently presented Emily Kauffman, 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.
Kauffman was recognized for her caring bedside manner in the medical/surgical unit caring for a patient after hip replacement surgery, which you can read in more detail in her DAISY nomination:
“After hip replacement surgery, I had an overnight stay with Emily as my nurse.
I’ve had multiple surgeries in my life but never have I had such caring and empathetic nurse to patiently put up with my complaints of pain and discomfort. She was always kind and reassuring and I never felt that she was in a hurry even though she had many patients to deal with throughout the night.
To me, Emily exemplifies what it is to be a nurse, and my first hours of recovery were helped greatly by her words of encouragement and kind eyes.”

From left: Renee Sommerfeld, Administrative Supervisor, Medical Surgical; Denise Harmon, RN, Director, Medical/Surgical; Emily Kauffman, RN; Vickie Swanson, RN, Chief Nursing Officer
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.