The DAISY Award

The DAISY Award is a nationwide program that rewards and celebrates the extraordinary clinical skill and compassionate care given by nurses every day.  Kaiser Permanente South San Francisco is proud to be a DAISY Award Hospital partner, recognizing our nurses quarterly with this special honor.

The DAISY Foundation was formed in memory of J. Patrick Barnes by his family in November 1999.  Patrick died at the age of 33 after a long illness.  His family developed the DAISY Award in his honor to recognize the skill and amazing compassionate care provided by his nurses and, therefore all nurses, for the way they care for patients and their families every day.

At Kaiser Permanente South San Francisco, recipients are selected from nominations received by hospital staff and employees.  Three of the recent honorees share their motivation and passion for nursing.

DAISY Recipient: Maggi Morehouse, RN, ICU 

Q: Was there something special in your life that motivated you to go into nursing?

My father was a physician for Kaiser, and I always had great admiration for him, and his career in medicine. By the time I reached high school, I began to look into the role of the nurse in healthcare. It was then I quickly realized the profession was the perfect fit for me; it was really my ‘calling’. I loved the idea of being able to connect with and take care of people on a daily basis.

Q: How has that passion for caring for others affected who you are as a person and a nurse?

Now that I have several years of experience in nursing, I still feel the same way. I consider it such a gift to be able to take care of my patients. Building trusting relationships with them and their families is an amazing part of this job. And though I educate them about their bodies and their health, in the end, most of them end up teaching me so much more about life. Being a nurse gives me a stronger appreciation for what I have, and makes me a more grateful person.

Q: What would say to someone who is considering nursing as a career?

To anyone who is considering nursing as a career path, I would tell them that it is an often difficult job, but definitely one of the most rewarding ones imaginable. As a nurse you have the opportunity to help heal the mind, soul, and body of your patients. You are able to work as a team with doctors and therapists and every day of work is different, with new challenges and so many chances to learn and grow.

Q: Looking back over your career, is there something special you would like to share that has made your choice so worthwhile?

There are so many aspects of nursing I am passionate about, but the connections I have made with my patients throughout the years are really what make the job worthwhile. When patients and family members look at me with gratitude in their eyes, there is no better feeling. It is a reminder that I am exactly where I’m supposed to be.

DAISY Recipient: Melissa San-Diego, RN, Float Pool Nurse

Q: Was there something special in your life that motivated you to go into nursing
When I was in high school my grandmother had a stroke and our entire family came together and took turns caring for her.  I remember her saying to me “become a nurse, I know you’ll be a very good nurse” and she always attributes that her speedy recovery came about because of my care.
Q: How has that passion for caring for others affected who you are as a person and nurse?

When my son was three years old he was diagnosed with a brain injury and spent an entire month in the intensive care unit.  ICU became our second home, as we were always by our son’s bedside.  I witnessed the dedication of the doctors and especially the nurses who helped my son recover, they were always there for him. He has fully recovered and is now attending middle school. I already enjoyed nursing, but It was this experience that made me come to love my career more than anything else.  For me, it’s my turn to make a difference for every patient I care for every day.
Q: What would you say to someone who is considering nursing as a career?
Nursing is a very rewarding career.  For every little thing I do for my patients, I get so much back knowing that every day I get to touch and impact someone’s life.

Q: Looking back over your career, is there something else you would like to share?

When you go into nursing you know that some of your holidays with family can be impacted… but, there is nothing that can replace that feeling that you have helped someone and impacted countless lives every day.

DAISY Recipient: Kim Bautista, RN, BSN, Case Manager, Occupational Health Services

Q: Was there something special in your life that motivated you to go into nursing?

I was inspired to go into nursing by my Mother, an RN for Kaiser Permanente since 1984.  When I was still in high school, I would see her as she came home after a long day’s work and she would tell me stories about the patient’s lives she touched.  As a proud daughter, I would tell others I wanted to follow her footsteps. Her support and motivation made a difference for me.

Q: How has that passion for caring for others affected who you are as a person and a nurse.

I have always been the type to show empathy and compassion and have become more well-rounded and confident in my knowledge in nursing. In order to understand those that you take care of you have to understand yourself as a person, which nursing helps you do.  Nursing has helped me be open to different cultures, perspectives and respect them all. I will continue to care, help and change lives of patients no matter what challenges may arise.

Q: What would say to someone who is considering nursing as a career?

You have to have compassion for the career and for the people.  It’s not about the money or the stability.  It is being able to change lives for the well-being of the community.  Be patient and open your mind to the different aspects of nursing.  It is a challenge, but the outcome will really be worth it.  Nursing is a constant evolving career with many roads to choose from

Q: Looking back over your career, is there something special you would like to share that has made your choice so worthwhile?

I will forever cherish my time in the ER department.  I have witnessed many events and shared the love for patients working as a team with many knowledgeable, skillful and confident colleagues.  During the San Bruno Fire I witnessed the compassion and empathy that the nurses, doctors and staff showed people who were burned, lost family members or their homes.  I have since moved into Occupational Medicine to take a new path in nursing but,  I will forever remember and cherish those memories of patients’ lives I have saved, the thank you’s, the smiles, the knowledge and skill I have acquired during my years as an ER nurse.  My choice to become an ER nurse after nursing school was a choice so worthwhile. I would never replace that for anything else.  With the DAISY award, I would like to share that with the staff in the ER because truly without them I wouldn’t be where I am today