UCI Health honors exceptional nurses and caregivers

UCI Health honors exceptional nurses and caregivers

Compassionate, high-quality care cited as reasons for recognition of excellence

Orange, Calif. - UCI Health nursing team members and other caregivers were recently honored for going above and beyond for their patients and colleagues.

The DAISY award honors nurses who demonstrate excellence in patient care while displaying the values of compassion, courage and integrity.

Rosey Vu, a nurse at the UCI Health Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, received the DAISY Award after being nominated by a patient who has been battling leukemia for several years.

"She always greets me with a smile. She stays and listens to me as an individual, not as a patient," the letter reads. "She is always a strong advocate for me with the doctors and other staff."

James Needham, a nurse at UCI Health ― Los Alamitos, was honored with a DAISY Award after being nominated by a patient whose family is grateful for his support and empathy during a difficult situation with a loved one.

"[Needham] always made sure to go out of [his] way to update and keep our family in the loop of everything. That big gesture can really make an impact on a very scared family," the nominator wrote.

Rafael Mendoza, a hospital assistant in orthopaedics, was honored with the Sunflower Award, which recognizes non-nursing staff for their service. Mendoza's nomination highlighted his warm, encouraging manner and willingness to go the extra mile for his colleagues and patients.

How to nominate a team member

Anyone can nominate an exceptional nurse or patient care team member for a DAISY or Sunflower Award, including faculty, staff and patients. Simply fill out the appropriate nomination form below:

• DAISY Nurse Leader Award nomination form ›
• DAISY Team Award nomination form ›
• DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses nomination form ›
• Sunflower Ancillary Staff Award nomination form ›

About the DAISY Award

The individual DAISY Award recognizes a nurse for being an outstanding role model. To be nominated for this award, they must consistently demonstrate a caring attitude focusing on meeting the needs of patients and families, listen with their heart, significantly makes a difference in the life of a patient, shows good assessment and critical thinking skills and brings enthusiasm and energy to their daily work. The DAISY Award committee selects one nominated nurse each month who exemplifies what it means to truly be an outstanding caregiver.

About UCI Health

UCI Health is the clinical enterprise of the University of California, Irvine, and the only academic health system in Orange County. Patients can access UCI Health at primary and specialty care offices across Orange County and at its main campus, UCI Medical Center in Orange, Calif. The 459-bed, acute care hospital, listed among America's Best Hospitals by U.S. News & World Report for 23 consecutive years, provides tertiary and quaternary care, ambulatory and specialty medical clinics, behavioral health and rehabilitation services. UCI Medical Center is home to Orange County's only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center, high-risk perinatal/neonatal program and American College of Surgeons-verified Level I adult and Level II pediatric trauma center and regional burn center. UCI Health serves a region of nearly 4 million people in Orange County, western Riverside County and southeast Los Angeles County. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.