Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC), a member of Dartmouth Health, honored a nurse from the Endoscopy department this month, recognizing the compassionate care provided to patients.
Felisha Wright, BSN, RN, was presented with the DAISY Award for Exceptional Nurses after receiving nominations from multiple patients who highlighted her kindness and her extra effort to assist them with issues outside of her normal role.
“This nurse put me at ease by answering all my questions. She was delightful to talk with. Thank you for choosing such a great person with a caring heart,” one nominator wrote.
Another nominator noted that Wright helped when the patient was upset about a negative experience with another medical office.
“While waiting for my endo appointment, Felicia saw that I was clearly upset, and kicked into high gear to help me with a problem that had nothing to do with her or the endoscopy department,” the nominator wrote. “Within a short time, she had made headway with the problem, and went out of her way to get some answers for me, and had made me feel like I was a priority and that my situation was important. As it turned out, when it was time for my appointment, Felisha was assigned to be my nurse. Her positive attitude and professionalism were just what I needed to be put at ease in a situation that was scary for me. Felicia went way above the call of duty today, and showed such compassion and care she was an angel to me.”
Wright is also an advocate for community awareness around colorectal cancer and the importance of colonoscopies as a tool for early detection and prevention. Her DAISY recognition happened to fall during March, which is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Wright has spearheaded many outreach events this month and in year’s past, to ensure the public is educated about colorectal cancer, which is the second leading cause of cancer death in the country, but also one of the most preventable.
The DAISY Award is an international recognition program honoring clinical excellence and outstanding compassionate care provided by nurses. Nurses are nominated by patients, families or colleagues and SVMC surprises the recipients with the honor. Awards are given out monthly.
About Southwestern Vermont Medical Center
Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC), a member of Dartmouth Health, is a comprehensive, preeminent, health care system providing exceptional, convenient, and affordable care to the communities of Bennington and Windham Counties of Vermont, eastern Rensselaer and Washington Counties of New York, and northern Berkshire County in Massachusetts. SVMC includes the Dartmouth Cancer Center at SVMC, the SVHC Foundation, as well as 25 primary and specialty care practices. Southwestern Vermont Medical Center is among the most lauded small rural health systems in the nation. It is the recipient of the American Hospital Association’s 2020 Rural Hospital Leadership Award. In addition, SVMC is a five-time recipient of the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Magnet® recognition for nursing excellence. SVMC provides exceptional care without discriminating on the basis of an individual’s age, race, ethnicity, religion, culture, language, physical or mental disability, socioeconomic status, sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression. Language assistance services, free of charge, are available at 1-800-367-9559.