Memorial Announces Austin Owens as December Daisy Winner

Congratulations to Austin L. Owens, BSN, RN in the Pediatrics Department at Lake Charles Memorial Hospital. He was nominated by a parent of his patient for his kind and calming demeanor that made his little patient's stay in the hospital a lot less scary. 

From the Nominator:

We appreciate the care and kindness Austin demonstrated. What awesome nursing skills and bedside manner. My son was scared to death. Austin was patient and went out of his way to help with his compassionate approach to soothe him. My son had surgery for 1st time in his life, and at nine years old, sometimes things get dramatic (especially after anesthesia). My son appreciated the games, and the frequent rounds, and a friendly kind nurse who cared and loves what he does. Go Austin! You made our stay great and comfortable. Bringing pain meds in time, hanging antibiotics, providing nursing care, and explaining everything was a plus. I am a nurse myself and a prior employee of Memorial. It just pleases my heart that we were taken care of and loved. Thank you.

About DAISY:

In late 1999, at the age of 33, Patrick Barnes awoke with some blood blisters in his mouth. Having survived Hodgkins Disease twice, he was admitted to the hospital and diagnosed with the auto-immune disease, ITP (Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura).

Said his father, Mark Barnes, "We are so blessed that we were able to spend the eight weeks of his hospitalization with him and his family. During those weeks, we experienced the best of Nursing. We were there to see the clinical skill that dealt with his very complex medical situation, the fast thinking of nurses who saved his life more than once, and that nursing excellence that took years to hone to the best of the profession. But frankly, as a patient family, we rather expected that Pat would have great clinical care. That was why he was in the hospital. What we did not expect was the way his nurses delivered that care - the kindness and compassion they gave Pat and all of us in his family every day. We were awed by the way the nurses touched him and spoke with him, even when he was on a ventilator and totally sedated. The way they informed and educated us eased our minds. They truly helped us through the darkest hours of our lives, with soft voices of hope and strong loving hugs that to this day, we still feel."

Just days after he died, the family began talking about what they would do to help fill the giant hole in their hearts that Pat’s passing had left. His wife came up with the acronym, DAISY, standing for diseases attacking the immune system. As they discussed what to do in Patrick’s memory, first and foremost, they wanted to say Thank You for the gifts nurses give their patients and families every day. That is when the family created The DAISY Award For Extraordinary Nurses.

For more information regarding Austin's nomination, click here.