Connie Meyer, R.N., was honored with Coffey Health System’s DAISY Award® For Extraordinary Nurses during a ceremony on December 10. The DAISY Foundation recognizes the super-human efforts nurses perform every day.
Connie made a positive impression on a patient who underwent a surgical procedure. The patient wrote: “I had never met Connie until I went into the hospital for a colonoscopy. She greeted me at the door of the operating preparation room. She instantly made me feel comfortable by her smile, her relaxed attitude, her knowledge, and her friendliness. I was nervous about this procedure. She explained things that were going to happen during the procedure. She said she was going to put in an IV, and many nurses have difficulty doing that to me…Connie put an IV in where I had never had one before. She did it smoothly with very little pain in a small blood vessel in my hand…As the minutes ticked by, I began to get more and more nervous until I saw Connie putting on a gown and I knew she was going to be in there with me. It instantly made me feel relaxed and I felt like a friend was there with me.”
That same compassion continued after the procedure.
“Her voice was the first that I heard telling me that they were completed, and everything was OK. Connie is everything a nurse should be: kind, thoughtful, knowledgeable, and someone to look up to. Coffey County truly has a golden asset in their hospital with her.”
She graduated from Southern Coffey County High School and Neosho County Community College’s Mary Grimes School of Nursing. Connie began her career at Coffey County Hospital four years ago.
“With a constant smile, Connie brings warmth and comfort to everyone around her,” said Chief Nursing Officer Suzanne Garcia. “Her kindness, gentleness, and unwavering respect for our patients make her an invaluable part of our team. We are grateful for the positive impact she has on our community every day."
CHS patients, family members, and colleagues nominated four other nurses for their exceptional compassion and skill: Aubrea Baker and Casey Lyons, obstetrics; Angie Ireland, emergency; and Monica Rolf, surgery. All nominees receive a bouquet of daisies and a unique pin to adorn their badges.
“Simply having someone take the time to write a thoughtful nomination for a nurse is—in and of itself—worthy of acknowledgment to the nurse,” said CHS DAISY Award Coordinator Shelly Moss. “Special pins are presented to all nominees to recognize their work. These pins also help build awareness of The DAISY Award and ensure that meaningful recognition goes on all year.”
Award recipients receive various educational and professional membership opportunities, and a hand-carved sculpture called “The Healer’s Touch,” representing the bond between nurses and their patients. The sculptures are made of serpentine stone and signed by the Shona artist from Zimbabwe who created them.
The not-for-profit DAISY Foundation was established by family members in memory of J. Patrick Barnes. Patrick died at the age of 33 in late 1999 from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), an auto-immune disease. The care Patrick and his family received from nurses while he was ill inspired this unique means of thanking nurses for making a profound difference in the lives of their patients and patient families.
Bonnie Barnes, FAAN, Doctor of Humane Letters (h.c) and co-founder of The DAISY Foundation, said, “When Patrick was critically ill, our family experienced first-hand the remarkable skill and care nurses provide patients every day and night. Yet these unsung heroes are seldom recognized for the super-human work they do. The kind of work the nurses at Coffey Health System are called on to do every day epitomizes the purpose of The DAISY Award.”
To nominate a CHS nurse for the DAISY Award—or any CHS staff for the BEE Award—visit https://www.coffeyhealth.org/patient-experience/.