News

Kelly Comer, RN is the February, 2011 DAISY Award recipient. Kelly is a nurse on the Surgical Neuroscience unit on 7N. The DAISY Award is presented monthly to an All Children's Hospital Nurse that has provided extraordinary service to our patients.

Kelly's nurse colleagues on 7N wrote:

Many times, the acuity level on our unit is extremely high. It's difficult when patients are very sick, and it's even more difficult when several become very sick at the same time. We had a few patients that required immediate assistance within a one-hour time frame.  Even though Kelly had several patients of her own, she was a calm resource for our newer nurses.

We had one child, requiring immediate intervention. Kelly jumped right in to assist the patient's nurse. Within a short time, she was called to assist another nurse. Throughout the night, Kelly was being called on to assist nurses who were dealing with a variety of patients. During the entire time, she maintained a calm demeanor and kept a positive attitude. 

As the charge nurse, Kelly went above and beyond the call of duty. She was pulled in many different directions during the shift. We were most impressed with her ability to encourage the other nurses through empowerment. And, she did it all with a smile on her face! Her excellent leadership skills did not go unnoticed, as we all nominate her for this Daisy Award.

"Kelly has worked on our unit for the past 8 years and demonstrates advocacy in daily practice," said Gina Yarbrough, RN, Director of the Surgical Neuroscience unit.

"She provides support for each patient and family. She recognizes individual needs and implements strategies to increase comfort. As the "guardian of the bedside," peers often comment that Kelly provides assistance for those with less experience to help set priorities and organize care and promotes the appropriate level of monitoring. Kelly consistently demonstrates service excellence as evidenced by a commitment to excellent care and a proactive approach to securing a safe and healing environment for the patient."

It was an exciting week for Kelly. In addition to being honored with the DAISY Award, she also welcomed her husband, Matthew, a Captain in the US Air Force, back home after six months of active military duty in Iraq. The homecoming was extra special since Kelly and Matthew were married just before he was sent overseas.

Thank you Kelly, for your service excellence to All Children's Hospital and your continued passion to pursue perfection.