Individual Attention ... Outstanding Nursing Care

Next to the fresh daisies and boxes of Cinnabon rolls sat a half-dozen pints of multiple varieties of local ice cream. With names like Vanilla Bean, Ooey Gooey Blue St. Louis, Blackstone Butter Brickle and Salted Caramel, there was a flavor to match everyone’s individual taste.

It was a unique offering for a Methodist Hospital DAISY Award ceremony, and the reason the ice cream was there was just as incredible as the honoree.

Not a lot of time

Alyssa Mann, BSN, RN, has been a nurse at Methodist Hospital for three and-a-half years. A nurse in the hospital’s Short Stay unit, she primarily cares for patients who won’t be there long. 

“My approach to caring for these patients is just to look at the whole picture and try to see what they need,” Alyssa said. “It may be pain control issues or it may just be a shower. You never know. Every patient is different.”

Short hospital stays don’t always offer a lot of time to build relationships, but for one patient, Alyssa’s care made a big difference.

Short Stay nurse with a long-term outlook

A recent patient noticed Alyssa’s dedication and genuine care for his healing and well-being.

“She is aware of the larger picture and observes the patient’s situation to accomplish what needs to be done,” the patient wrote in a letter to the hospital. “Alyssa’s patient care goes beyond what she has been directed to do. She notices the small things and takes the initiative to improve care.”

A little encouragement for healing

In the few days the patient spent at the hospital, Alyssa said she did what she could to encourage him in his recovery. And the patient noticed.

“She used subtle mental encouragement to help me help myself heal,” the patient wrote. “Comments such as ‘The chair might be a good change of pace from the bed’ and ‘That leg looks painful but going for a quick walk would be good for your body’ were focused on changing my behavior. Her slight bragging on my accomplishments during shift turnover recognized and reinforced positive behaviors. You want to do the right things when the nurse coaches you and notices.”

“Just doing what we do”

It’s this patient-centered approach, offering encouragement with a focus on recovery that Alyssa practices every day at Methodist.

“Alyssa’s level of expert care and personal interest in my recovery was exceptional,” the patient wrote, noting examples of personal care and contagious enthusiasm. “Her rare combination of a deep understanding of medicine, the mental aspects of patient health, a make-things-happen approach and cheery disposition are an inspiration.”

The DAISY Award

The patient’s unrelenting praise and his appreciation were the reason Alyssa was honored with the DAISY Award for Methodist Hospital and Methodist Women’s Hospital. The DAISY Award is a nationwide program that rewards and celebrates extraordinary skill and compassionate care given by nurses every day. 

“You’re just doing your job and you don't think that you're going to get any recognition above and beyond for it,” Alyssa said. “It shocks you a little bit. It makes you cry.”

And the reason for the ice cream? The patient sent those as an extra “thank you” to the Methodist Hospital staff. The flavors represented the variety of ways nurses and staff members went above and beyond to provide individualized care – all the “flavors” that go into The Meaning of Care.

“Methodist has uniformly good nursing and care professionals,” the patient wrote. “Thank you.”

To nominate a nurse at Methodist Hospital or Methodist Women’s Hospital for the DAISY Award, visit bestcare.org/daisy.