For you, giving your all to your patients is the norm. But to your patients and their families, it’s life changing. To your fellow nurses and other healthcare colleagues, it’s inspiring. To us at Fusion Medical Staffing and those at the DAISY Foundation, it’s a cause for celebration and recognition.
So, we’ve partnered with the DAISY Foundation to honor extraordinary nurses for providing compassionate care to patients and families. Because you deserve to be recognized and appreciated for going out of your way to improve the lives of everyone you touch. Here’s the 4-1-1 on the DAISY Award for nurses.
- What is the DAISY Award?
- What happens to the nursing nominations?
- How DAISY recognition makes a positive difference
- ✨BONUS ✨ Frequently asked questions
Fusion Joins Forces with DAISY Foundation to Honor Outstanding Nurses
What is the DAISY Award?
In 1999, Patrick Barnes, known as Pat by loved ones, was diagnosed with immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), an autoimmune disease. His family was fortunate to be by his side during his eight-week hospitalization. It was there that they learned first-hand the difference compassionate care nurses provide makes in the hospital experience, both for patients like Pat and families like them.
After Pat passed, the Barnes family created the foundation to honor him and show gratitude for the outstanding service nurses like you provide every day through the DAISY Award. Twenty-five years later, the DAISY Award for extraordinary nursing professionals has received upwards of 2.5 million nominations and celebrated more than 220,000 nurses across 40 countries and territories.
The best part about this award is that anyone can nominate a deserving nurse — patients, patient family members, co-workers, physicians, hospital staff, and anyone else who experiences or observes incredible compassionate care provided by a registered nurse (RN) or licensed practical/vocational nurse (LPN/LVN).
Now as partners to the foundation, we’re able to elevate the ways we appreciate you!
“We’re so proud to partner with DAISY!” Said Fusion Medical Staffing Clinical Liaison Katie Anvari, RN. “We’re grateful for this organization’s assistance in helping us celebrate the extraordinary Fusion nurses working hard everyday to deliver exemplary patient care and embodying our mission of improving the lives of everyone we touch!”
What happens to the nursing nominations?
To nominate a nurse, all you have to do is click here!
Once your nomination is submitted, all noms are blinded and sent to our internal Fusion Medical Staffing committee. Here, this group reads and scores each nomination using criteria that focus on compassion and improving the lives of others, and a selection is made.
From there, each nurse in the recognition program receives a copy of their nominations, and the honoring nurses receive their award, including a spot on the DAISY Foundation website.
How DAISY recognition makes a positive difference
After 21 years, the DAISY Award for extraordinary nurses continues to make a meaningful difference in the nursing community and beyond.
“Being nominated for DAISY Awards is incredibly meaningful to me,” said Fusion Medical Staffing Travel Nurse Parrish Williamson, RN. “It reaffirms that my approach of treating patients like family is making a real difference. Providing care that I would wish for my own loved ones is my guiding principle, and this recognition is a true honor for me.”
By contributing to a healthy work environment, increased nurse engagement, and enhanced patient and family experience, the DAISY program is no stranger to making a positive difference. Here’s the research to back it up.
Healthy work environment
🤝 Focuses on what’s “right” in an organization
🤝 Reminds nurses of why they chose this career
🤝 Operationalizes mission and vision of compassionate care celebration as a team
Increased nurse engagement
🤝 DAISY nominations may contribute to compassion satisfaction
🤝 Engaged nurses support nurse retention
Enhanced patient and family experience
🤝 Over 2 million nominations written to express gratitude
🤝 Improves patient-experience outcomes
🤝 Supports and demonstrates patient and family centered care
Frequently asked questions
What do DAISY Award recipients win?
Once a DAISY honoree has been selected, it’s celebration time! Those who love and support the honoree, including peers, leadership, nominators, friends, and family, gather for a DAISY presentation honoring the winner.
Here, the honoree receives a certificate in a DAISY portfolio, a beautiful hand-carved Healer’s Touch Sculpture, an honoree pin, a congratulations banner to hang in their unit, a copy of their nomination(s), a gift bag, and cinnamon rolls to share.
How long are the DAISY Award applications open?
The DAISY Award applications are open year-round, aka you can nominate an MVP nurse at any time!
To nominate a nurse, click here, choose the healthcare facility where they work, and submit the online form. Even if your nurse doesn’t win the award, they’ll still receive your nomination and have the chance to read your kind words!
What other awards and scholarships are available to Fusion travel nurses and allied health travelers?
Not only are we proud to partner with DAISY, but we’re also so excited to reward passionate travel nurses and allied health travelers with the Traveling Hearts Award. The Traveling Hearts Award is a distinguished honor that recognizes healthcare travelers who truly embody our mission at Fusion: to improve the lives of everyone we touch. This award is given to two champions of care — one nursing and one allied professional — who demonstrate unparalleled dedication to patient care.
Related: How Fusion Medical Staffing Recognizes BSN Students and Healthcare Travelers
But that’s not all! To further support healthcare travelers, we unveiled The Compassion in Care Fusion Scholarship, a four-year renewable scholarship for nursing students pursuing their Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).
The Compassion in Care Scholarship awards up to 10 nursing students $5,000 each for furthering their education and matches winners with a Fusion mentor who also has their BSN to help support them during nursing school. Keep your eyes peeled for 2025-2026 scholarship details!
The DAISY program was created to say “thank you” for the gifts nurses like you give to patients and families every day. We’re grateful to partner with DAISY to honor you for your extraordinary care and we’re excited to see the good this partnership has to offer!
Know a nurse who deserves some recognition? Nominate them for a DAISY Award!
