Brianna Fouche receives St. Mary’s DAISY Award for nursing excellence
August 21, 2025Athens, Ga. – Brianna Fouche, a registered nurse who provides care in the Intensive Care Unit of St. Mary’s Hospital, has received St. Mary’s DAISY Award for Nursing Excellence. She was nominated by a nursing student she precepted in the spring.
“Brianna has shown me how to be a caring and compassionate nurse,” the student wrote in Fouche’s nomination. “She excels in patient care while also being a team player. I have seen her place smiles on patients’ faces that have experienced major life changes, and she is quick in action when things do not go as planned.”
The student especially recalled a time when Fouche was providing care to a patient with recently diagnosed stage 4 cancer who was not expected to recover.
“Brianna created such a genuine relationship with this patient, making them smile and laugh, giving them a positive memory to reflect on while staying in the hospital,” the student writes. “She has taught me so much about what being a nurse means.”
“All of our nurses aim to provide high-level care with higher-level caring, but Brianna truly excels,” said Ann Gomes, director of Orthopedics and chair of St. Mary’s DAISY Award Committee. “It’s not easy to bond with a patient who has a life-limiting illness. You have to be both strong and vulnerable, knowing you’ll be crying when they are gone, but it’s what exceptional nurses like Brianna do. We’re so happy she is part of our ministry.”
Fouche is a resident of Jefferson and joined St. Mary’s in June 2021.