WEST PLAINS, MO – Erica Millar, licensed practical nurse (LPN) from Ozarks Healthcare’s Medical Surgical Unit (Med/Surg), was recently honored with The DAISY Award® For Extraordinary Nurses for the level of care she gave to a hospitalized five-month-old and her mother, Pauline Roberts.
Millar was surprised at Ozarks Healthcare’s entrance this week with a presentation of her award, which happens to be National Nurses’ Week and Hospital Week, by a crowd of fellow staff members, family, and Pauline and her daughter, Kinzlee.
The DAISY Award is part of the DAISY Foundation’s programs to recognize the super-human efforts nurses perform every day.
Millar was nominated to receive a DAISY Award by Roberts for the care she showed Kinzlee during a recent hospital stay at Ozarks Healthcare’s Med/Surg Department. Roberts was able to read her nomination letter to Millar and staff at the award presentation.
“Your Med/Surg floor is absolutely superb and if could, I’d nominate every person we had the privilege of working with,” Roberts said. “One stand-out nurse is Erica. When she came into the room, she was immediately relatable, warm, compassionate, and I could tell we would have a great night in her care. Kinzlee has been a very sick baby, so I naturally was very anxious and on top of her care. I don’t sleep well or much when she is sick. Around midnight, she woke up me up because she needed oxygen. We got her set up and I oddly fell right asleep. Next thing I know, I am waking up and 4 a.m. and shortly after, Erica walks in. She had been checking in every 15-20 minutes to check Kinzlee’s oxygen and make tweaks without waking me up. I’m a light sleeper. Erica is a night ninja! I’ve recently learned she is a sole provider who put herself through LPN school then RN school. My hope is that she continues to work towards her goals. She is a gifted nurse, a selfless person, and so deserving of this award.”
The not-for-profit DAISY Foundation is based in Glen Ellen, California, and was established by family members in memory of J. Patrick Barnes. Barnes 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 Barnes 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.
Members of the public, including patients, visitors, nurses, physicians, and Ozarks Healthcare staff may nominate a deserving nurse for his or her compassionate care and clinical excellence by filling out an a nomination form located online at https://www.ozarkshealthcare.com/your-visit/ or picking one up at several locations throughout Ozarks Healthcare’s hospital.
