PLATTSBURGH — Christine Porter worried about what each passing hour could bring as her mother battled a life-threatening illness in the ICU at University of Vermont Health Network – Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital.
While she’ll never forget the fear she felt during her mother’s stay in the hospital, Porter also says she’ll always remember the difference Aubrey Ford, RN made for her and her family.
“Aubrey took her time to not only educate us, but most importantly, to comfort us during one of the most terrifying times in our lives,” Porter recalls.
That compassionate care led Porter to nominate her for The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses, and Ford was presented the honor during a surprise ceremony with her ICU colleagues this week.
Porter’s mother was admitted to the ICU after suddenly becoming seriously ill and needing dialysis. As her mother continued to receive care, Porter says there was so much going on that she didn’t know what the days ahead would look like for her mother. However, she and her family felt secure whenever Ford was there, adding she knew her voice was being heard no matter the question she asked.
“Like a breath of fresh air, Aubrey came in with confidence, skill and compassion. She managed that dialysis machine with exquisite expertise. She knew the answers to our questions with great understanding and conveyed such with great ease and professionalism,” Porter writes in her DAISY nomination.
While a loved one’s stay in the ICU can be filled with stress and anxiety, Porter says it turned into an experience that will stay with her and she wants to make sure Ford knows how much her care means.
“I will always remember the difference she made for me and my family,” Porter says. “From one nurse to another, thank you for taking such great care of my mother, Aubrey.”
During the award presentation, Ford was presented with a certificate commending her as an extraordinary nurse. She, like all honorees, also received a DAISY Award pin and a beautiful and meaningful sculpture called “A Healer’s Touch,” which is hand-carved by artists of the Shona Tribe in Zimbabwe.
CVPH launched the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses in 2018 to recognize and reward licensed nurses for making a meaningful difference in the lives of their patients. Nomination forms and boxes are located at each of the hospital’s main entrances and online at UVMHealth.org/CVPHDaisy. Nurses may be nominated by patients, families, and colleagues. A committee reviews nominations and awards a deserving nurse each quarter.
The award is part of the DAISY Foundation’s mission to recognize the extraordinary, compassionate nursing care they provide patients and families every day. The DAISY Foundation is a national not-for-profit organization, established in memory of J. Patrick Barnes, by members of his family. Patrick died at the age of 33 in late 1999 from complications of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), a little known but not uncommon auto-immune disease (DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System). 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. More information is available at DAISYfoundation.org.