Christiana Hospital Transitional Surgical Unit honored with DAISY Team Award

For making a remarkable difference in the lives of patients and their families, the Transitional Surgical Unit (TSU) at Christiana Hospital has earned a DAISY Team Award for Extraordinary Nurses.

The DAISY Team Award recognizes teamwork and patient- and family-centered care that make a positive, measurable impact.

The TSU cares for a diverse population of patients who have experienced trauma and who are surgically and medically compromised. Many of the unit’s high-acuity patients have physically and emotionally challenging conditions such as traumatic brain injuries, permanent paralysis and being ventilator-dependent.

“Celebrating a birthday or special event comes with mixed emotions, and patients and families can get overwhelmed,” wrote Terry Vaughn, BSN, RN III, RN-BC, of the TSU in her nomination. “We try to help make the day a special occasion.”

This often involves family and friends, decorations, food, gifts and even, upon occasion, a serenade.

“We go above and beyond to make a difference in our patient care by not only helping our patients become well or better, but also supporting them emotionally,” wrote Vaughn.

“This is a tremendous honor for the TSU team, and a perfect example of our seeking to be exceptional today and even better tomorrow,” said TSU Nurse Manager Kristen C. Foulk, MSN, MS, RN, PCCN, NE-BC.

“We aim to inspire one another, celebrate individual successes, lean on each other when the going gets tough, and deliver quality in every interaction with our patients and families.”

In 2018, the 12-bed TSU received a Silver Beacon Award from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. The team has also earned recognition for ongoing initiatives that improve patient safety and clinical outcomes.

The international DAISY Award program honors skillful and compassionate nursing care. The Professional Nurse Council at ChristianaCare selects DAISY Award recipients using an anonymous selection process based on nominations from patients, families and all members of the ChristianaCare team. All nurses — inpatient, outpatient and VNA — are eligible.

Make a DAISY Award nomination.