The DAISY Award for extraordinary nurses
What is The DAISY Award?
The DAISY Award is an international recognition program that honors and celebrates the skillful, compassionate care nurses provide every day. The award is given to outstanding nurses in more than 4,500 healthcare facilities around the world. Island Hospital is proud to be a DAISY Award Partner recognizing one of our nurses with the special honor each quarter.
The DAISY Foundation was formed in November 1999 by the family of J. Patrick Barnes who died at age 33 of complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP). The nursing care Patrick received when hospitalized profoundly touched his family.

Who is eligible for The DAISY Award?
How to nominate an extraordinary nurse
Patients and/or patients’ family members may nominate a deserving registered or licensed practical nurse by filling out a nomination form (paper or online). Paper forms can mailed in or dropped off at any one of the designated DAISY Award boxes in Acute Care, Emergency Department, Anacortes Family Medicine, Fidalgo Medical Associates, Cancer Care, Labor & Delivery and Central Registration. An online submission form is available at the bottom of the page.
Click here to print a paper nomination form.
To be eligible for The DAISY Award nomination, the nurse should consistently meet all of the following criteria:
- The nurse was able to create a strong connection and sense of family with patient and family through trust and emotional support.
- The nurse communicated clearly and effectively with patient, family and coworkers regarding patient care goals and healthcare education while meeting patient's emotional needs.
- The nurse demonstrated compassion and empathy, keeping patient and family at the center of care.
- The nurse demonstrated excellent clinical and critical thinking skills.
- The nurse demonstrated professionalism and worked as an integral part of the healthcare team.
- The nurse made a significant difference in the life of a patient.
What each DAISY Award recipient receives
- A certificate proclaiming him/her an “Extraordinary Nurse.”
- A special DAISY Award pin.
- A unique, hand-carved Shone stone sculpture titled “A Healer’s Touch.” These serpentine stone sculptures are hand-carved for us by artists of the Shona Tribe in Zimbabwe. The sculptures are especially meaningful because of the profound respect the Shona people pay their traditional healers. Shona healers are affectionately regarded as treasures by those they care for, and the well-being and safety of the healer is of community-wide importance.
