John Keichline honored with DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses

John Keichline, RN, of Christiana Care’s Middletown Emergency Department, has received the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses for November 2016.

Christiana Care DAISY Award recipients are nurses recognized for meeting and exceeding the needs and expectations of patients and families by displaying exceptional clinical skills, compassion, respect and partnership.

The DAISY nomination comes from the mother of a young patient, who also happens to be a former staff nurse and current director of Clinical Operations for Christiana Care’s Heart and Vascular Interventional Services. Her nomination tells the story:

“After a nice and relaxing family vacation, we returned home at 10:30 at night. We woke up my son in the car and he immediately started crying and could not move his legs or stand to get out of the car. Being a nurse, I knew from his symptoms and the look on his face that he was severely dehydrated and all the fluids I pushed would not help at this point.

“We arrived in the Middletown ED and were quickly escorted back to our room. Kyle’s nurse, John, immediately came in and jumped into action. He was the most pleasant and kindest soul a person can meet. He spoke directly to Kyle about what was going to happen in terms a 9-year-old can understand. Of course, Kyle was very upset at the thought of a needle, but John remained calm, soothed Kyle and let him know he wouldn’t do anything to him until he was ready. John kept talking to Kyle and reassuring him that all would be OK, and soon he would feel better. In those moments, it was as if no other person or patient was more important than my son.

“John was compassionate, patient, kind and gentle. I have encountered many nurses in my career, but none have shown me the kind of empathy and compassion that John demonstrated that night. He made Kyle and me feel that we were his top priority and no one or nothing was more important than us.

“John quickly got the IV in Kyle and started the fluids needed to get him back on track. After a few short hours Kyle became his old self and could move his legs and stand on his own two feet. All the while, John was there, reassuring Kyle, his father, and me that all would be well.

“I have been truly touched by this angel of a nurse and have no doubt all his other patients that night felt the same level of expertise, compassion and kindness.”

The family of J. Patrick Barnes established the DAISY (Diseases Attacking the Immune System) Award in 1999 to honor his memory with a tribute to the skillful and compassionate care he received from his nurses during his hospitalization. Today, more than 2,000 health care facilities in every state and 15 countries honor nurses with the DAISY Award.

The Professional Nurse Council at Christiana Care selects DAISY Award recipients using a blind selection process based on nominations from patients, families and all members of the Christiana Care team. All nurses — inpatient, outpatient and VNA — are eligible.

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