CNBNews

Three Jefferson Health nurses — Florence Ihenacho, BSN, RN, CMSRN (Intermediate Care Unit, Jefferson Washington Township Hospital); Ingrid Myles, BSN, RN (4-East, Jefferson Stratford Hospital); and Traci Loud, BSN, RN, OCN (Medical Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center) — were each recently honored with a DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses.

Ihenacho, of Sicklerville, was nominated by a colleague, who wrote: “We had a patient from Nigeria who suffered a stroke and was being weaned off a ventilator. Flo is also Nigerian and sang a song in their native language as he passed. This was the calmest we saw him. Fate placed Flo at his bedside.”

Loud, of Bridgeton, was nominated by a grateful patient for her professionalism, and good bedside manner: "She made it easier to go through chemotherapy treatments — explaining step-by-step what she was doing while ensuring I was comfortable and tolerated the medication."Myles, of Sicklerville, was nominated by a family member for her compassionate care, and commitment to excellence: "My fiancé was in serious condition. Ingrid allowed me to stay a few extra minutes after visiting hours, hugged me, arranged for someone to escort me to my car, and said she would pray for us. She is truly an angel.”

Also, Coordinator of Patient Care Services Heather Croce, BSN, RN (3-West, Jefferson Stratford Hospital) was honored with a DAISY Team Leader Award for Extraordinary Nurses. An 18-year employee from Gibbstown was nominated by a new graduate nurse colleague, who wrote: “Even if in a meeting, Heather’s door is always open for us to give a quick rundown. She redirects us to think critically so we can improve lives.”

Part of an international program, DAISY honorees are nominated by patients, family members, and colleagues. Award winners are chosen following a review of nominations by Jefferson’s Clinical Recognition Committee. The nonprofit DAISY Foundation was established in memory of J. Patrick Barnes, who died in late 1999 from complications of an autoimmune disease. For more information about the DAISY Award, visit www.DAISYfoundation.org. For more information on Jefferson Health, visit www.JeffersonHealth.org.