Wendy Newton, a registered nurse in the Emergency Care Center at Halifax Regional Medical, Center was honored with The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses.
The award is part of the DAISY Foundation's mission to recognize the extraordinary, compassionate care nurses provide patients and families every day.
Halifax Regional, in partnership with the Daisy Foundation, honors one deserving nurse with this award per quarter.
Newton was nominated as this quarter’s award recipient by the family of a patient after she went above and beyond to extend exceptional care during the family’s time of need.
“My brother came into the ECC due to a major heart attack,” the narrative nominating Newton said. “Wendy’s composure helped us stay calm during this scary time. There are really no words to describe how wonderful this nurse is. I know without Wendy’s care and loving manner, he could have been taken from us. I feel she deserves so much more than just a thank you as she is an asset to the nursing field and to Halifax Regional. You are and will always be our angel.”
The narrative continues, “My mom called me hysterical telling me to get to the hospital, that he was having a heart attack. She started praying and asking God to please not take him. We lost my sister several years earlier and it almost killed my mom. She prayed and asked God to please send an angel to take care of him and honestly, he did.
“When I went back to see him, he looked up at me and said, ‘Sis, it’s bad.’ We both held back tears. His nurse, Wendy Newton, calmed us both; she explained everything to us as it was happening, and she was so calm and reassuring. Her calmness helped us to stay calm.
“They worked on him so diligently. There are really no words to describe how wonderful Wendy was. They flew him out and Wendy was by his side until he left. When we got to Raleigh, they were bringing him out of surgery. His doctor looked at us and said if not for the care he received at Halifax Regional, he would not have made it.
“He said he had an angel looking after him. He could have never made a truer statement. God did send an angel to him and her name is Wendy. I know without her care and loving manner, he could have been taken from us. I feel she deserves so much more than just a thank you. She is an asset to the nursing field and to Halifax Regional. From my family to her, you are and will always be our angel.”
Nurses may be nominated by patients or patient families and award recipients are chosen in a blind judging process by a committee at the medical center. Each honoree receives a certificate, a special celebration, a keepsake pin and a sculpture called A Healer’s Touch.
“We are proud to be among the healthcare organizations participating in The DAISY Award program,” said Will Mahone, president and CEO. “Nurses are heroes every day and it’s important that our nurses know their work is highly valued.”
The DAISY Foundation is a not-for-profit organization established in memory of J. Patrick Barnes, who died from complications of an uncommon autoimmune disease.
The care Patrick and his family received from nurses while he was ill inspired this means of thanking nurses for making a profound difference in the lives of their patients and patient families.
For more information on the foundation visit www.daisyfoundation.org.
To submit a nomination visit www.halifaxregional.org
