Congratulations to January’s DAISY nurse – Michael Parker, BSN, RN — who was nominated by a patient’s family member for the exceptional care he delivered during the patient’s stay in the Intensive Care Unit at UM Shore Medical Center at Easton.
“Being in the ICU is scary and being there when you’re not exactly sure why is even scarier,” the nomination read. “Mike was a godsend. He was more than cordial and polite and accommodating (and he was all of those things); he was also friend. You could feel he was going to take care of my sister, he was going to help me take care of my sister, and he was going to make sure everybody that came into the space was taking care of my sister. He shared all the information he had, answered all of our questions, and made sure we understood everything. And he did it all while seeming extremely happy to do his job, even the unpleasant parts. He joked, which meant we joked, which meant there was laughter in the face of all the things we might have been afraid of. He made those first hours in the ICU less scary and more hopeful, and definitely a lot more fun than they had to be, or that we had any reason to expect they might be. That level of compassion and caring and fun kept down the anxiety which made everything else bearable. I am so glad he was the person caring for my sister!”
As part of winning the DAISY award, Parker will be internationally recognized on the DAISY website. He also received a certificate, a DAISY pin, and a “Healer’s Touch” Statue. As tradition holds, Parker and his team were also treated to cinnamon rolls.