Connect

"I have never witnessed such compassion and care and we will always remember her and the impact she had on my husband and me." 

The Nursing Professional Governance Organization (NPGO) honors up to two UVA Health University Medical Center nurses each month with a DAISY Award. UVA Health University Medical Center Associate Chief Nursing Officer Veronica Brill, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, and Nursing Governance Coordinator Jenny Ernest surprised Carley Knuckles, RN, 3 South Acute Oncology, with an award.

A patient's relative nominated Knuckles:

"My husband recently had another stay at UVA Health because he has cancer.  He has always had great nurses ... but this one nurse that he had this last stay for several days was the ABSOLUTE BEST that I have ever encountered!

"I was in medical field for about nine years in the 1990s, have had multiple surgeries myself, and been a caregiver to many — so I have encountered several nurses through my life and Carley Knuckles by far is the BEST! She not only had great bedside manners but she also really cared and she was not just doing her time to get a pay check.

"She cheered my husband up when he needed it, made him laugh when he needed it, got him to drink medicine when he struggled by continuously encouraging him, made sure he was comfortable (running for warm blankets, popsicles, ice, something to drink, etc.). She made sure his pain medication was working and he was comfortable and she went as far as writing it on the board of his timing and for us to call her in 30 or 45 minutes to make sure it was or wasn't working — and if it wasn't, then she was getting breakthrough medicine or getting new orders from a doctor for a higher dose.

"She stayed on his pain like I have never seen done because she CARED! She wasn't a nurse who brought a pill and left and you would not see them again until you pushed that button. She constantly checked on him. She made sure he understood everything and would explain things that he didn't.  If I needed something, she also made sure I got what I needed. She would page the doctor for me to speak to and come back to see if the doctor had come by and if not, then she'd page him again.

"Her care and compassion for her patients was one that many could learn from. Speaking of learning, my husband had to have a little procedure and she asked if she could bring in another nurse to show her the process and we said sure and she explained to the other nurse professionally and thoroughly, and made sure she understood everything being done. I even understood it so well and was ready to jump in and help them after 30 plus years of being out of the medical field because she was that good explaining and the patience she had while showing the other nurse was a patience that I could learn from myself. As I said in the beginning, my husband got the pleasure of having her every day during his stay and every day she had the same happy and willing to please attitude with that infectious smile.

"Even during his release, she made sure we understood his home instructions. As we were getting ready to leave, she gave him a dose of pain medication (because we have a three-hour drive home) for his comfort and asked him if he had a comfortable pillow for extra padding on the car seat and got him a cushion for our ride home. No nurse had suggested pain medication for our ride or much less a pillow because he is a bone from the cancer and she was worried about his comfort riding home. It wasn't like other nurses hurrying to get you out the door and not worry about your comfort because you are out the door and not their problem anymore.

"I have never witnessed such compassion and care and we will always remember her and the impact she had on my husband and me. She definitely is an angel in disguise and in the right profession and any patient that gets lucky enough to have her as a nurse is truly BLESSED!!!"

Know a Fabulous Nurse?
"DAISY" stands for "Diseases Attacking the Immune System." The DAISY Award was established by The DAISY Foundation in memory of J. Patrick Barnes, who died at the age of only 33 of an autoimmune disease. The Barnes Family was awestruck by the clinical skills, caring, and compassion of his nurses, so they created this national award to thank nurses everywhere.

At UVA Health University Medical Center — patients or their families, visitors, and team members may submit a DAISY Award nomination.