ICU Nurse Presented with DAISY Award

Meghan Pelton, RN, from our ICU, is the latest recipient of the DAISY Award.

Nominated by a patient’s husband and son, Meghan is recognized for her genuine compassion and care.

Meghan cared for the patient while she recovered in the ICU after a surgery to remove a mass from her left temporal lobe. The surgery was a success but the patient was scared.

“Those were the circumstances that brought us into Meghan’s world for the first time,” the family wrote. “Meghan took her hand and asked how she was doing in a soothing voice. She commented on how good she looked while she began the gamut of medical tests and checks.”

They felt complete confidence that their wife and mother was receiving the best care. They said that although Meghan had previously been a stranger to them, they knew she would do everything in her power to make life better for them all.

When the patient was being transferred to another floor, Meghan confidently assured them she would be in good hands, but told them not to hesitate to reach out to her if they needed anything. They assumed it would be the last time they’d see Meghan.

But when it was time for discharge, Meghan came up to see her off herself.  The patient’s son said, “When Mom saw Meghan, we could see her spirits lift even more. It was like Meghan was assuring us all again that everything was going to turn out well.”

The family agreed that Meghan was definitely in the right career.

“Not everyone gets to love their job, excel at their job and make the world a better place on a daily basis. Meghan does,” they wrote.

As for the patient, she is doing better every day. The family says they are thankful to everyone at Crouse for their role in her recovery, but especially to Meghan, their “angel in the ICU.”

Chief Nursing Officer Betty O’Connor, right, and Neurosciences Director of Nursing Cindy Wood presented Meghan with her award.

About the DAISY Award
In November 1999, the family of J. Patrick Barnes formed the DAISY Foundation as a way to express their profound gratitude to nurses for the work they do for patients and their families every day. DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System. Pat died at age 33 of complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), a little known but not uncommon auto-immune disease. In 2015, Crouse became a DAISY-affiliated hospital, and presents an award to a deserving nurse, selected by a committee, regularly throughout the year. The DAISY Award program at Crouse has been made possible through a donation from the Crouse Hospital Medical Staff.