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" to reveal each DAISY recipient's nomination.
VUMC DAISY Recipients
“Kevin Plowmen was kind, professional, caring, and AMAZING to my family as we had to say goodbye to my husband, while he was hospitalized in the MICU. One of the things that touched me most included the morning he had to be taken for a CT scan; my husband was attached to numerous life support machines, and Kevin was ‘superhuman’ as he carefully and singlehandedly prepared him for the trip. Kevin looked at us, looked at his watch, smiled and said he would be back within 99 minutes-the time my husband needed to be back on the machines-and he was! Kevin absolutely made sure he returned, safe, sound and on time. We had all fallen in love with Kevin as a person and a compassionate, skilled nurse. “The last morning was very hard as we knew my husband was not going to recover. Kevin was on call but didn’t know if he would be called in. That morning, a new nurse came in and told us that Kevin was here and would like to take over care. I cried, I was so touched and relieved that Kevin was going to be with us to help us through this tough day. As planned, the machines were turned off, one at a time. My husband only lived 30 minutes after the first machine went off. He was ready. Kevin hugged and cried with us. I think he had fallen in love with us too. What an amazing nurse he is. I would shower Kevin Plowman with a million daises if I could, but I am hoping this award will show him just how important he is to my family. We love you, Kevin!” |
Read Kevin's Nomination
“I am 73 years old and needed a knee replacement. I have always been very independent and don’t like asking people for anything. While in the hospital after my surgery, I was blessed to be a patient of Jesse’s. Even though it was later in the afternoon when I got to the room, she greeted me with the biggest smile. From the start, she made me feel like I was the only reason she was there that day. She laughed when I told her not to call me by my last name, but my first name, or she could call me by my nickname like everyone else. After that, we were family. I even offered to take her home with me if she promised to make her bed every day. Jesse has a true servant’s heart and is the perfect example of having the calling for nursing. I never had to use my call light because she checked on me regularly, and when she was there, she was 100% with me. She talked with me, not at me. Before she left the room, she always told me what to expect so I would know who else was supposed to be there, what they would be doing, and when she would be back. She was always true to her word. I hope the hospital understands what an asset she is to them and the community. I hope if I ever need stay in the hospital again, I can request her, and she would be willing to oblige one who never felt comfortable receiving assistance until Jesse showed me true compassionate care.” |
From multiple nominations “When my daughter was admitted to the unit, she made my daughter feel welcomed, safe and cared for. I felt confident in leaving my child in her care. I am so glad that there was a nurse like Devan there to help her.” “Devan has been so sweet to both my child and our family. She truly brings a smile to anyone she talks to. She is caring, giving and has a special heart to work in this field of nursing. She deserves all the praise.” |
“I would like to thank my nurse, Devan, from the Adolescent unit. Devan is the mother of the unit. She is constantly making patients feel heard and seen. I personally had a slip-up while in the hospital and Miss Devan made me feel comfortable enough to show her something as personal as my self-harm scars, let alone bandage my wounds. I’ve never let anyone help me clean up that sort of thing, beside her. I haven’t even let my own family see my scars. There are some amazing nurses here, and Miss Devan is absolutely one of them. She is sweet, but assertive when needed and one of the best type of people to be in charge.” “When my daughter was admitted to the unit, she made my daughter feel welcomed, safe and cared for. I felt confident in leaving my child in her care. I am so glad that there was a nurse like Devan there to help her.” “Devan has been so sweet to both my child and our family. She truly brings a smile to anyone she talks to. She is caring, giving and has a special heart to work in this field of nursing. She deserves all the praise.” |
DAISY January 2025 Recipients
“On the second day of my 5-day old daughter’s stay at Monroe Carell, she was by all indications dying. Her blood pressure was dropping, her blood sugar level was dropping, and her oxygen was dropping. As a father, there is no worse feeling than watching this happen and feeling helpless. I would do anything to save my daughter, but I do not have the knowledge or training to intervene; however, Kelly does have the training and knowledge. More importantly, though she has the passion and compassion. I watched in utter awe as Kelly worked around the clock, tirelessly and gracefully flying around the room as she changed out IVs, took blood samples, and administered oxygen. All the nurses here are incredible, but what stood out about Kelly was the sheer depth of her compassion and how it manifested in her work ethic; she cared about my child as much as I do, despite having just met her, and cared for her as such. To me, that’s what makes for a nurse worthy of such recognition as the DAISY award, someone who is not only technically and intellectually skilled, but also deeply compassionate, possessing that unteachable quality of genuine care for other people such that they will give everything they have to see their health improve. For nearly twelve hours, Kelly never once sat down. She devoted every second to saving my daughter’s life, and she did so with grace, love, and a smile. As I watched Kelly work, I knew my daughter was going to be OK, and what a blessing and gift Kelly gave me and my wife that day. Not just the act of saving our daughter, but the certainty of it in the moment. I recognize and appreciate that this hospital is full of the best nurses in the nation, but still Kelly stands out. I’ve never encountered anybody (in any field) who works as hard as she does and with such unerring compassion. I will always be grateful to Kelly for the rest of my life for what she did that day, and it would mean a lot to me, personally, if the hospital would join me in that recognition. Kelly Mathis saved a life, one that means everything to me, and Kelly saved that life as if it meant everything to her, too.” |
“I lost our baby at 13 weeks and came in after a night of losing so much blood and passing out. I was scared of what was going to happen to me while here. After surgery, I woke to a very kind nurse taking me back to a recovery room, and it put me at ease. We then got a new nurse named Rio who would be such an answer to prayer. She was kind, compassionate, offered to talk to me and gave me encouraging words. She looked out for me and connected with me on a deep level. She went out of her way to help me progress with healing and went above and beyond to offer comfort and love to a grieving mother. I cannot even express how much she has meant to me. I pray all nurses, doctors and staff would be so loving, kind and professional as Rio. It really turned this horrific experience into one that will have some fond memories to look back on. I am so grateful for Rio!” |
“When my daughter lost vision in her left eye, we were terrified. After many visits to other doctors, we were referred to Dr. G at Vanderbilt Eye Institute. Nurse Regina called to make the appointment. I was a nervous wreck, could it be something terrible, was it treatable? I was so emotional and had so many questions! Regina assured me that Dr. G was the best and would take care of my daughter. Regina called and sent emails to check on my daughter. We now have a diagnosis and are being treated. My daughter’s vision is back to normal with the treatments she receives. Many times, throughout this journey, I reached out to Regina. She could have gotten frustrated many times looking back, but she didn’t. She was always the “calm to my storm.” I needed a “Regina” in my life to assure me everything was going to be OK! Regina still greets us with a warm hug and encouraging words when we see her. I don’t know what we would have done without Regina and Dr. G. My family is so thankful for them!” |
“Our 89-year-old father had already been in the ICU for four days before Charles entered the room. We immediately could feel his dedication to our father. He did the most thorough examination and assessment we had observed. He set daily goals for him. When Dad needed care and compassion, Charles was there. When we needed to see that he could sit up, that he could get mobile again, Charles was there. For two days, Charles was a voice for our father to doctors and other health providers. When it was time for Charles to end his final shift, our father was worried. His words were, ‘Charlie knows me. I hope he leaves me in good hands!’ Charles reassured him and stayed late just to make sure the transition went smoothly. Thank you, Charles Botamer.” |
“Molly is an angel! I had a double mastectomy and three lymph nodes removed under the care of AMAZING Dr. Kelly Hewitt. Over two weeks, nurse Molly has checked on me diligently through the portal and by phone. I developed blisters in a small area on my left side as a result of an allergic reaction to the bandage adhesive after surgery. Sweet Molly carefully guided me through each step of the process to heal these wounds. She made sure that my meds were helping and that I had everything I needed. She made me feel like I was the only patient she had to care for. Molly went above and beyond what I could have or would have ever expected. Her genuine concern for me made all the difference, and I’m ever so grateful for her. She made coming to my follow up appointment feel like coming to visit family! I couldn’t wait to get there to meet this lovely, knowledgeable, kind lady in person! Molly very carefully and professionally removed my drainage tubes (I didn’t even feel them come out), and she made sure that all my questions and concerns were addressed as well. The entire team gave me exceptional care, and I simply can’t say enough good about you all! I want someone to know that Molly went above and beyond and certainly deserves to be recognized! She’s making this world a better place! With all my heart, thank you!” |
“After a drastic shift in birth plan to keep myself and our first baby safe, Merett was an actual angel dressed up as a nurse to help me feel human again. The entire OR team was phenomenal with my unplanned cesarean section, and I later learned Merett was part of the team. She made a really scary experience as peaceful as it could be. After many hours of labor beginning Sunday and an indicated C-section Tuesday, I was so exhausted come Wednesday. Merett was there and helped me literally, step-by-step from the bed to the bathroom, her patience unmatched. I was in a considerable amount of pain, felt incredibly unclean, and embarrassed. Merett so graciously helped me remove my clothes, wash myself off, removed the catheter, helped me void my bladder, and wash off the remnants of the C-section. All of this with a smile, incredible graciousness and compassion. That continued for the remainder of her shift and while she set me up with the incoming nurse. When I had an issue in the bathroom shortly before the shift change, Merett handled it so quickly and kindly I barely even had a moment to feel stressed. Postpartum is a hard time, and Merett brought so much compassion to her shift, that I feel incredibly blessed to have had her care for me during the most vulnerable time of my life. Thank you, Merett!” |
DAISY Recipients by Year
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