Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC), a member of Dartmouth Health, honored two nurses this summer, recognizing the incredible support and compassion each provided to their patients.
Jennifer Archibald, RN, who works on the Medical-Surgical Unit and Morgan Hutchins, RN, of Women’s and Children’s Services, were each recently presented with the DAISY Award for Exceptional Nurses after receiving individual nominations.
Hutchins was nominated by pregnant patient, who wrote: “I have a high-risk pregnancy, so there are a lot of fears and concerns associated with the early induction process and labor. Although my stay isn’t over and Morgan will be here for the duration of my stay, I want to commend her for comforting me and answering any questions I have. She’s very compassionate, attentive and is a good listener and isn’t hesitant to escalate any concerns. I’m grateful to have her as my nurse during my induction and labor. This is a very scary process for me and I came in with a lot of anxiety, but her reassurance and attentiveness has put my mental state in a much better place and I feel extremely safe in her care.”
Archibald’s nomination came after her compassionate care to a patient with cognitive challenges, who had a long length of stay at SVMC. The nominator wrote: “This particular nurse was able to connect with the patient in a way that helped keep her calm, safe, and cared for. She would often take the patient around the organization to keep her calm and provide new environments to switch up the monotony of living in a hospital. The patient responded so well to her patient, calm and caring demeanor and while she wasn't always able to express her thoughts and feelings, it was apparent that she trusted this nurse above most others. The patient could be challenging at times and yet this nurse maintained her professionalism, her upbeat positive demeanor, and would always respond with kindness and empathy.”
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.