St. Mary's NICU nurse receives DAISY Award for excellence
October 26, 2023Athens, Ga. - Katie Crenshaw, a registered nurse who provides care to premature infants and sick babies in St. Mary’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, has received St. Mary’s systemwide DAISY Award for Nursing Excellence.
Katie was nominated by a patient’s mother who was grateful for the care Katie provided not only to her premature infant but to the whole family.
The mom was anxious and stressed, especially about how she and the baby’s older siblings would bond with her youngest child. Because premature infants have weak immune systems, they are not able to meet their brothers and sisters until they go home, which can be several days, weeks or even months after birth.
“Katie was such a soothing soul and warming smile during a high anxiety week for me as a NICU mom,” the mother wrote in her nomination for Katie. “She sat in my son’s room while I cried and truly took an interest in what she could do to help me with the anxiety and caretaker fatigue.”
Katie made pictures with the baby’s footprints to help connect the older children with their new brother. She also arranged for the family to come and see their brother through the NICU door. “Katie taking the time to just listen truly touched me and made me appreciate the NICU staffing you have here even more,” the mother concluded.
“This award beautifully reflects the compassionate care Katie delivers to all of her patients and their families,” said Women’s and Children’s Services Director Jackie Iley. “She is a wonderful nurse who truly found her calling here in the NICU. We are so glad she is part of our team.”
“We are extremely proud of Katie and all of our DAISY Award recipients,” said Ann Gomes, St. Mary’s DAISY Award Committee coordinator and director of orthopedics at St. Mary’s Hospital in Athens. “This award demonstrates the vital role nurses play not only as care providers at the bedside, but with families and colleagues as well. Congratulations, Katie!”
Katie is a graduate of Gwinnett Technical College who joined St. Mary’s NICU in 2012 shortly after earning her degree in nursing. She is a resident of Auburn.
About the DAISY Award
The DAISY Award is an international recognition program that celebrates the skillful and compassionate care nurses provide day-in and day-out. It was created in gratitude for the nurses who provided care to Patrick Barnes, a 33-year-old husband and father who lost his fight against a deadly autoimmune disease in 1999. His family created the DAISY Foundation, which now partners with more than 5,000 hospitals and schools in all 50 states and around the world to honor and inspire extraordinary nurses. Learn more about the DAISY Award at https://www.daisyfoundation.org/.
At St. Mary's, each DAISY Award recipient is recognized at a public ceremony with their colleagues. They receive a certificate, a DAISY Award pin, and a stone sculpture entitled "A Healer's Touch" that is hand-carved by sculptors in Zimbabwe. In addition, they and their colleagues are invited to celebrate the occasion with cinnamon rolls, a treat Patrick would request – even though he couldn’t eat them – as a thank-you to the nurses caring for him.
Anyone can nominate a St. Mary's nurse for the DAISY Award, including patients, patients' family members, providers, and colleagues. Any nurse in the St. Mary's system is eligible, including those at all three hospitals as well as home health care/hospice services and medical group offices. The nomination simply asks you to share your story of why a nurse is special to you. St. Mary's honors eight nurses each year.
There are two ways you can nominate a St. Mary's nurse for the DAISY Award:
- Visit St. Mary's DAISY Award webpage at https://www.stmaryshealthcaresystem.org/for-patients/after-your-stay/daisy-award
- Contact Melissa McDaniel, Marketing Administrative Assistant and Volunteer Coordinator, at 706.389.3892.