DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System. The Foundation was formed in November, 1999, by the family of J. Patrick Barnes who died at age 33 of complications of the autoimmune disease Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP). Pat’s death after 8 weeks in the hospital was a terrible shock to his family. However, the nursing care they experienced during Pat’s hospitalization compelled them to express their gratitude to nurses everywhere for the clinical skill and compassionate care nurses provide every day. This is why the Barnes family created The DAISY Foundation and The DAISY Award For Extraordinary Nurses.

The DAISY Award provides healthcare leaders the means to highlight all the “right” going on in their organizations. Each nomination tells the story of extraordinary compassion and care provided to a patient. The result is a program that helps drive organizational culture, inspire and motivate extraordinary nursing, nourish teamwork and promote the professional image of nursing.

Each DAISY Award comes with a story. For a dose of inspiration, grab a cup of coffee and peruse these inspiring stories on the DAISY Foundation Website about nursing excellence