Lindsay Smith honored with DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses
Lindsay Smith, BSN, RNC-OB, of Christiana Hospital’s Labor and Delivery Team, received the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses for April 2017.
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. This DAISY nomination came from a nurse at Christiana Care who says Lindsay was an incredible advocate for her and a great support to her husband during the birth of their daughter:
”I had planned for an unmedicated birth, but I was in a lot of pain and decided to get an epidural. Lindsay paged anesthesia right away, but it soon became apparent that my labor was progressing very rapidly and the team could not get there in time. Without the epidural, I was especially glad Lindsay was my nurse.
“She offered to put me on a portable monitor so I would be able to move around as I liked. Lindsay was very hands-on. She massaged my back and got me a special birth ball. My husband was nervous and unsure of how he could help me, and he felt very reassured having Lindsay there. He followed her example of how to apply pressure to my back during contractions and said she made him feel much more confident in his role as my support person.
“Lindsay is also amazingly intuitive. She was able to tell by looking at me and by the sounds I was making that I was almost completely dilated.
“When Lindsay found out my doctor was tied up with another delivery, she remained calm while requesting resident and nurse backup. I was not nervous because Lindsay was so calm and composed.
“Lindsay advocated for me to the residents to be able to push on my hands and knees, the only position that helped me tolerate the contractions. When she was coaching and encouraging me, there was a time when I felt like I could not handle it. When I said ‘I can’t’ Lindsay replied, ‘Yes you can. We don’t say I can’t.’ This was a turning point for me. I tell my older kids all the time ‘We don’t say I can’t.’ When Lindsay said this, she gave me the strength and courage to give the final few pushes that helped me meet my baby girl.
“I know I would not have had such a wonderful, fast and furious labor experience had it not been for Lindsay Smith. I am forever grateful for her compassion and support.”
Established in 1999, the family of J. Patrick Barnes created the DAISY (Diseases Attacking the Immune System) Award to honor his memory with a tribute to the skillful and compassionate care he received from his nurses during his hospitalization. Today, more than 2,500 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.
