In the end, she held the patient in her arms

Nurses save lives, it’s true, but sometimes they perform great acts of compassion at the end of life. It was just such an act that has earned Briann Logan, RN, The DAISY Award.

It was late summer, and the pandemic was wearing on. Briann was on shift in the AB Unit at Asante Three Rivers Medical Center when a patient became unresponsive. A code blue was initiated. A co-worker hurried in to help and found Briann holding the patient in her arms.

The patient was DNR and his wife was in the room. They helped her to the patient’s side and Briann was present with both of them during the last, tender moments of his life.

“She was there for them unlike any nurse I had seen,” the co-worker recalled.

Though the time to treat the patient had passed, Briann continued to provide healing and kindness to his wife. Briann stayed with her for several hours after her shift. She grieved with her, walked with her and offered to follow her home to make sure she arrived safely.

“She [the wife] didn’t have anyone to call and was insistent on driving home to Murphy,” her co-worker said. “Briann’s dedication to service and our patients is just beyond amazing. This is just one of the many times I have seen Briann go above and beyond for our patients and community.”

Patients and others may nominate nurses for a DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses at any Asante hospital. DAISY is an international program that rewards and celebrates the clinical skills and the compassionate care given by nurses every day.

The DAISY Foundation was established in 1999 in honor of Patrick Barnes, who died in Seattle of idiopathic thrombocytopenia purpura. His parents created the DAISY Foundation (DAISY is an acronym for diseases attacking the immune system) to recognize nurses for the exceptional care they provided their son during his illness. Hospitals around the world have since adopted the program.