Natalie Leszczynski Recognized With DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses

Natalie Leszczynski, BSN, RN, on the Neuro Critical Care Unit at Christiana Hospital, has received the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses.

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.

Leszczynski was nominated by the husband of a patient who experienced a neurologic emergency related to metastatic brain cancer. Throughout the patient’s stay — including her final moments — Leszczynski provided compassionate care.

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“Natalie always calmly explained procedures to me and allowed me to clean my wife’s hair when the EEG was removed,” her nominator wrote. “She let me assist in removing the body temperature regulation devices before preparing her for extubation. She allowed me to make my wife presentable for her family to say goodbye. She helped me feel like part of the care team.”

For Leszczynski, caring for patients also means caring for their families. As she performed tests and tended to the patient, she made sure the husband was supported as well.

“She brought me a chair, blankets and pillows so I could sleep by my wife’s side throughout the night. She looked after me after I had spent more than 96 hours at her bedside with little to no sleep, even though I assured her I was OK (I was not),” he wrote.

The nominator expressed his deep gratitude for Leszczynski’s professionalism and thoughtfulness.

“She went above and beyond in providing care to my wife, and for that I can never thank her enough. I have never encountered an individual dedicated to the word ‘compassion’ in my experience with the medical field.

“I will never forget what Natalie did for me and my family.”

Nominate a ChristianaCare nurse for a DAISY Award.

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.