4/20/2015 - Laura Blow, R.N. at Saint Francis Hospital-Bartlett, was recently honored with the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses. This national award recognizes nurses for the excellent care they provide to patients.

Prior to becoming a registered nurse in 2012, Blow worked as a certified nursing assistant for 15 years. She has been a part of the Saint Francis Hospital-Bartlett team since 2007. Blow was selected as a Daisy Award recipient based on nominations from her peers and letters from patients and their families.

The nominations highlighted Laura’s kind, friendly, and easy going spirit. She is also appreciated for her high standards of care and great teamwork, as she often receives compliments from patients regarding the excellent care she provides. In addition, Laura’s peers appreciate her positive attitude and attention to detail.

Blow was presented with a certificate commending her for being an “Extraordinary Nurse.” She also received a Healer’s Touch sculpture, hand carved by artists of the Shona Tribe in Africa. The sculpture represents the respect the Shona people give their traditional healers.

“Receiving the Daisy Award is a fantastic honor,” said Blow. “I try to care for patients as if they are members of my own family. It’s a great feeling knowing that patients and coworkers feel that they can trust me and rely on me.”

The DAISY Award, an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System, is a national program that began in 2001 by the DAISY Foundation in Glen Ellen, California. The DAISY Foundation was started by the family of J. Patrick Barnes who died at age 33 of complications of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, a bleeding condition in which the blood doesn't clot properly. Deeply touched by the compassionate care Patrick received from his nurses, the Barnes family created the national DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses to recognize the incredible work that nurses do every day.