Nancy Ouellette (fourth from left) recently became the first person honored by CMMC with the DAISY Award for nursing excellence. Pictured with her (l. to r.) are Danielle Valliere, Mary McRae, Alison Dehetre, Tina Nickey, and Sharron Sieleman.

Sponsored by the DAISY Foundation, the DAISY Award recognizes nurses who consistently demonstrate the following attributes in their work: compassion; critical thinking; passion for life; patient advocacy; patient- and family-focused care; support of fellow healthcare team members; and the characteristics of a professional role model.Registered nurse Nancy Ouellette has been recognized by Central Maine Medical Center as its first DAISY Award recipient.

Ouellette is a staff nurse on CMMC’s Cardiopulmonary Nursing Unit. She also serves in a number of other nursing roles. She is a facilitator-instructor for RENEW, an ongoing program that helps CMMC caregivers and staff connect with patients and families in a more spiritual way. She is a founding member of CMMC’s Professional Practice Committee, which helps promote a climate of nursing excellence. She is a member of the Heart Failure Team, serving as an educational liaison with the Cardiopulmonary Nursing Unit. And she belongs to the La Leche Team, which assists new mothers in developing breast-feeding techniques to enhance the well-being of infants.

Documentation recommending Ouellette for the DAISY Award noted her power of presence as she listens to families’ concerns and lets them verbalize their fears, as well as her skills at providing comfort measures to both patients and their extended families.

DAISY is an acronym for “diseases attacking the immune system.” The DAISY Award was established in 1999 by the family of J. Patrick Barnes, who died at 33 from complications of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. The award was created to show gratitude to the nursing profession, which the Barnes family believes are “unsung heroes” of patient care. Headquartered in Glen Ellen, CA, the foundation also funds research through its J. Patrick Barnes Grants for Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice Projects.

“The compassion and dedication of our nurses is very evident in all they do each day,” said CMMC Vice President for Nursing Sharron Sieleman. “Nancy’s passion and holistic approach to patient care have been an example for all the students and nurses who have trained with her through the years. We could not have had a better choice to be our first honoree.”

CMMC will honor one of its nurses with the DAISY Award four times a year.