Amy Cisz, RN, received Central Vermont Medical Center (CVMC)’s second DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses in a surprise ceremony recently. Cisz earned the honor for her role helping a severely mentally ill patient who arrived in the emergency department with multiple physical, hygiene and emotional care needs. “While it is an expectation that any of us would care for this patient, Amy stepped up and took the case,” said Matthew Choate, CVMC’s chief nursing officer (CNO), who worked with Cisz in CVMC’s emergency department for more than 10 years and presented her with the honor.
“When I think about a nurse whom I would want caring for me or my family, Amy comes to the top of any list,” he said. "She’s truly remarkable in her compassion and dedicated spirit and to me represents all that is right in nursing.”
“Amy spent several hours coaxing this patient into a little care, then more, then more,” Choate explained. “She took the time to persuade the patient to help, rather than just do the care” herself. “Throughout this process, Amy made sure she kept a therapeutic relationship with the patient and preserved her dignity.”
“When this was all over, the patient was clean, in clean clothing and accepting of treatment,” he continued. “She went on to get the help she needed. Amy, on the other hand, showered and changed, coming right back to work as she would with any other patient care episode.”
Cisz “consistently comes to work with an upbeat, ‘can do’ attitude, and no matter how busy or unpleasant things get, she always steps up and delivers excellent care,” Choate concluded.
The DAISY (Diseases Attacking the Immune SYstem) Award is an international recognition program that honors and celebrates the skillful, compassionate care nurses provide every day. It was first awarded at CVMC in February.
The DAISY Foundation and DAISY Award were established by the family of J Patrick Barnes after he died from complications of the autoimmune disease idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) in 1999. During his hospitalization, family members deeply appreciated the care and compassion shown to Barnes, his relatives and friends. When he died, his family felt compelled to thank nurses in a very public way.
Current/former patients, family members and friends are encouraged to nominate nurses who have provided extraordinary care to loved ones at www.cvmc.org/daisy-awards.
About the University of Vermont Health Network
The University of Vermont Health Network is a six-hospital system serving the residents of Vermont and northern New York with a shared mission: working together, we improve people’s lives. The partners are:
- The University of Vermont Medical Center;
- The University of Vermont Health Network – Alice Hyde Medical Center;
- The University of Vermont Health Network – Central Vermont Medical Center;
- The University of Vermont Health Network – Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital;
- The University of Vermont Health Network – Elizabethtown Community Hospital;
- The University of Vermont Health Network – Porter Medical Center.
Its 4,000 health care professionals are driven to provide high-quality, cost-efficient care as close to home as possible. Strengthened by its academic connection to the University of Vermont, each hospital remains committed to its local community by providing compassionate, personal care shaped by the latest medical advances and delivered by highly skilled experts.