What is the DAISY Award?
The DAISY Award is an international program to reward excellence in the nursing profession. It was created by the DAISY Foundation to recognize the extraordinary compassion, outstanding clinical skills and personalized care exhibited by nurses every day. Cooper University Health Care is proud to be a DAISY Award Partner recognizing nurses throughout the year.
DAISY Award recipients personify Cooper’s commitment to outstanding health care services. These men and women consistently demonstrate a dedication to excellence through clinical expertise, extraordinary service and compassionate patient care. They are recognized as outstanding role models among their fellow nursing professionals.
DAISY award recipients are recognized at a public ceremony and receive a framed certificate, a DAISY Award signature lapel pin and a hand-carved stone sculpture entitled, "A Healer’s Touch." The award recipient’s coworkers are also part of the celebration and are given Cinnabon® cinnamon rolls.
What is the DAISY Foundation?
The DAISY Foundation was established in 2000 by the Barnes family in memory of J. Patrick Barnes, who died from complications of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) at the age of 33. The DAISY Foundation is dedicated to funding research to help fight diseases of the immune system, like ITP, and supporting ITP patients and their families.
The Barnes family was tremendously touched by the compassion extended toward Patrick and to the entire family by the nursing staff that they and the foundation were compelled to establish a nursing award that celebrates both professional expertise and personalized care.
Toward the end of Patrick’s life, he lost his appetite and found it difficult to eat. A relative came to visit and brought a Cinnabon® cinnamon roll as a quick breakfast. Patrick asked for a piece and successfully finished eating the entire roll. He asked the relative to bring him another roll the next day and to bring some for the nursing staff as well. The comforting aroma of cinnamon and the joy the pastry brought to Patrick inspired the family to invite Cinnabon® to be part of the award program.
How to nominate an extraordinary nurse
Patients, visitors, family members, co-workers and physicians may nominate a deserving nurse by completing this Daisy Award Form online or by completing a paper form found on each nursing unit and at other locations throughout the Cooper Camden campus. When completing the paper brochure, give the completed form to the nurse manager on the patient’s unit or mail the form to:
DAISY Award Committee
c/o Nursing Administration
Cooper University Health Care
One Cooper Plaza
Camden, NJ 08103