The DAISY Nurse Leader Award

For over 20 years, The DAISY Foundation has been recognizing the compassion and skill direct care Nurses bring to their patients every day. Over 125,000 nurses have received The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses in 4,000+ healthcare facilities and schools of nursing internationally. The executive leaders, middle managers, educators and others who support these outstanding nurses often do not consider their roles as eligible for The DAISY Award. However, they fully support recognition for their direct care staff as they deeply appreciate and respect the care that staff nurses provide. These leaders also understand the value of celebrating the impact staff have on patients and their families through on-going meaningful recognition. Nomination deadline: July 1, 2022.

As the healthcare landscape becomes more complex, with increasing demands on Nurse Leaders, we believe that those who create an environment of compassion and recognition for others strongly deserve to be recognized themselves. With recognition, they may be held up as models of outstanding nursing leadership. Despite working under tremendous pressure, through their leadership, these Nurse Leaders provide a haven of safety for staff, both physically and emotionally.  In this environment, nurses are inspired to do their very best by Nurse Leaders who role-model caring behaviors. These leaders provide a setting where compassion is valued, and staff, in turn, treat patients and their families with deep humanity.

The DAISY Foundation is dedicated to recognizing all the “right” that nurses do, and compassionate leadership is indeed “right.” With a DAISY recognition program for Nurse Leaders, we put a public spotlight on the impact their unique brand of leadership has on their staff and the patient care they manage.

The DAISY Nurse Leader Award gives staff, patients, and families a way to express their gratitude for the compassionate environment Nurse Leaders provide. Nominations received for these individuals will be held and reviewed annually by the DAISY Committee. An internal call for nominations will be made prior to this review to give staff an opportunity to nominate eligible individuals. Nurses eligible for this award include all nurse leaders, educators, and other nurses who are not in direct patient care roles.

As with The DAISY Award for direct care Nurses, the nominations call for stories and examples of how these nurses make a difference in patient care by making a difference through their leadership. The selection process is blinded, ensuring the fairness and integrity of the program.

It is important that the criteria for selecting Nurse Leader Honorees be consistent with the values and culture of each organization and The DAISY Foundation.

Selection criteria include:

• Role model for compassion and exemplary practice
• Role models behavior perceived as extraordinary
• Creates an environment that fosters care & compassion
• Creates an environment where attributes of trust, compassion, mutual respect, continued professional development and ethical behavior are modeled and supported
• Motivates staff with a shared vision and enthusiasm to achieve better outcomes for themselves and for their patients
• Is a mentor to staff
• Accessible, available and responsive to the needs of others, encouraging critical thinking and problem-solving for individuals and with the context of teams
• Promotes and enhances the image of nursing within the organization, the community and the profession   

DAISY award presentations are meant to be joyful occasions. The recognition ceremony, coordinated by the DAISY Committee, will be held at the annual DAISY banquet in September.  

Gifts to each Nurse Leader Honoree include:    

• a special DAISY Nurse Leader certificate in a DAISY Foundation portfolio
• a specially designed DAISY recognition pin
• a unique Healer’s Touch sculpture, designated for Nurse Leaders

2021 - Nurse Leader Recipient

                      Kacie Richey, RN

If you have a Nurse Leader you would like to nominate, please describe the impact they have on their staff and the patient care they manage using the criteria below. Please provide as much detail as possible to help the DAISY Committee in its selection.

Eligible leaders include: Nurse Leaders, Nurse Educators, and other nurses who are not in a patient care role. Nomination deadline: July 1, 2022.

NOMINATION FORM