A Monmouth Medical Center oncology nurse who “uses her amazing compassion every day to make an impact on her patients” has been honored with the quarterly DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses.
DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System. The DAISY Foundation was formed by the family of Patrick Barnes who died at age 33 of complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura, an auto-immune disease, according to a press release from Monmouth Medical Center, Long Branch.
Barnes’ widow, Tena, who is a DAISY co-founder, created the acronym and the foundation and established the DAISY Recognition Program to honor the work nurses do every day at a patient’s bedside, according to the press release.
In nominating Emma D’Ambrosa of Tinton Falls, who is a bedside nurse on Monmouth Medical Center’s Bernard Fromkin Oncology Unit, a colleague praised D’Ambrosa as “a nurse first and teacher second.”
For her nomination, D’Ambrosa was recognized for the following: “Emma is truly special. She is a nurse first, but a teacher second. Emma has been a nurse at Monmouth Medical Center for five years and is a perfect example of an extraordinary nurse.
“She is the chairperson of the Medical-Surgical Shared Governance Council as well as the co-chairperson of the Patient Care Coordinating Council. She is a member of the Nursing Workplace Environment and Staffing Council as well as a mentor and preceptor to many new nurses.
“Emma shows her dedication to her patients by working on a professional level to improve the patient experience from within. Emma is always the person you can go to for help. She is non-judgmental and will go above and beyond to make sure you and your patient are well taken care of.
“As an oncology nurse, Emma uses her amazing compassion every day to make an impact on her patients. There have been many nights where Emma has gone above and beyond in patient care.
“For example, we had a hospice patient who had been on the unit for a very long time and had gotten to know the nurses very well. Emma had decided to give her what she calls a ‘Spa Day’ one night.
“This consisted of a full soap and hot water bed bath, brushing and putting her hair into braids and even painting her fingernails and toes her favorite color. This patient felt so special, loved and cared for and it was all because of Emma. It is in these little acts that Emma performs every day that makes her an extraordinary nurse.
“Aside from that, she is an amazing mentor. Emma precepts multiple new graduate nurses every year as well as myself and loves doing it! She puts passion into making sure the next generation of nurses is prepared and provides safe, quality healthcare to all patients of BBR2.
“Emma is not one to brag about herself, but is one of the most committed nurses at Monmouth Medical Center, proven through her long list of committee work and amazing patient care. Emma is the most deserving of this award because she does everything, but expects nothing,” D’Ambrosa’s colleague wrote in the nomination.
