Sarah Mercer, an RN on the ECU Health North Medical Surgical Unit, has received the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses.
“The award recognizes nurses who provide exceptional, compassionate and skillful care — qualities Mercer demonstrates in her daily work and that were reflected in a heartfelt nomination from one of her patients,” ECU North said.
Mercer was nominated by a surgical patient she cared for the night before surgery. In the nomination, the patient shared how Mercer immediately recognized her anxiety and offered comfort, reassurance and encouragement during a frightening and vulnerable time.
In the nomination, the patient wrote:
“She knew empathically that I was very nervous. She was warm, tender, and caring and kept offering me reassurances. I just knew one of these random, never-should-happen events would happen to me and I would die. I know how bad my heart is. All these bad things could happen, and I was imagining that it would happen to me.
“She picked up on that and just knew. She was constantly reassuring me, and telling me, ‘you got this.’ And on the morning of my surgery, she looked at me and said, ‘I’ll see you tonight’ and it made me cry knowing that she believed in that.
“Our connection is very deep. When she saw me that night, she said, ‘I told you I’d see you’ with a great big smile. I have been a nurse a long time and have seen so many things go wrong with people in surgery. Sarah made my stay so much brighter just by being here. I am tearful writing this because I wish I could give her something even more amazing than this, but I really hope she wins this award.”
The DAISY Award is an international recognition program that honors the extraordinary clinical skill and compassionate care nurses provide every day. “Mercer’s dedication to going above and beyond embodies the spirit of the DAISY Foundation and reflects the exceptional care provided to patients and families across ECU Health North Hospital.”
“Sarah’s compassion and ability to recognize what her patient needed in a vulnerable moment reflect the very best of nursing at ECU Health North,” said Andrea Chivers, vice president of Patient Care Services. “The reassurance and genuine connection she provided made a lasting difference for this patient and exemplified the extraordinary, patient-centered care the DAISY Award celebrates. We are incredibly proud of Sarah and grateful for the impact she makes on our patients and families every day.”
