DAISY Award: A light in the darkness

In the darkest times, a light can emerge. For a troubled patient at Asante Rogue Regional, that light was ICU nurse Jake Geary.

He was taking care of a young patient who was facing significant struggles with their mental health. Even though the patient was at times challenging to care for, Geary persisted in offering compassion and patience.

One evening, the patient left the hospital, intent on ending their life. Geary followed as the patient raced away, yelling, “People love you! We just want to help you!”

The patient stopped and then allowed Jake to escort them back to the hospital. The following morning, the patient shared with the day nurse that they decided to stop running because they did not want to commit suicide in front of Geary, who cared so much that he had chased them far from the hospital.

He saved a life that night, and his selfless gesture earned him the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses.

Said one leader: “While I would never ask one of my staff to risk their own safety for that of a patient, it speaks volumes about Jake that he was willing to put his own needs aside to keep following that young patient, who is now on the road to recovery. The world needs more nurses like Jake. I am so thankful to have him on our team.”

Patients and others may nominate nurses for a DAISY at any Asante hospital, based on factors including care of and compassion for patients and their loved ones.

The DAISY Foundation was established in 1999 in honor of Patrick Barnes, who died in Seattle of idiopathic thrombocytopenia purpura. His parents created the DAISY Foundation (DAISY is an acronym for diseases attacking the immune system) to recognize nurses for the exceptional care they provided their son during his illness. Hospitals around the world have since adopted the program.