Jenna Townsend honored with DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses

Jenna Townsend, RN, of Christiana Hospital’s Labor and Delivery team, received the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses in July 2020.

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

The DAISY nomination came from a nurse colleague in the Center for Women’s & Children’s Health who described Townsend’s compassionate, empathetic care and extraordinary nursing skills with a member of her own family.

“From the moment my daughter and son-in-law announced they were pregnant, I thought a longtime dream was about to become a reality,” the nomination read. “I had been planning my ‘support person’ role my entire career, as I watched, listened and learned from other nurses and my patients during labor. When COVID-19 interrupted that dream, I cannot describe the pain I felt when I could not be with my daughter.

“Then came Jenna Townsend. When my daughter arrived at Labor and Delivery, Jenna sat next to her and held her hand. She listened as my daughter and son-in-law shared their sadness and fears about going through the birth without me. Jenna told them they were stronger than they knew, braver than they thought, that it was going to be OK, and I would be OK.

“Jenna stepped in for me with heavy expectations on her shoulders. She expertly cared for my daughter throughout the labor with calm and reassurance. Jenna also cared for me — she took pictures of my granddaughter, her first diaper, and the new happy family, and hugged my granddaughter for me. She helped our family find new memories and feel a sense of peace over what we could not control.

“I will look into my granddaughter’s eyes and be thankful that Jenna was there when I could not be. Jenna is a DAISY nurse every day. But this night, Jenna was extraordinary, and she became our hero.”

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 ChristianaCare HomeHealth — are eligible.

Nominate a ChristianaCare nurse for a DAISY Award.