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Learn how "her presence made all the difference in making our stay at UVA Health as pleasant as possible." 

The Nursing Professional Governance Organization (NPGO) honors up to two UVA Health University Medical Center nurses each month with a DAISY Award. Associate Chief Nursing Officer Karin Skeen, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, and Grace Sandridge, MSN, RN, CPN, Assistant Nurse Manager, 7 Acute, surprised Gui Ping Li, RN, with an award.

Relatives of several patients praised LI's dedication, knowledge, and thoughtfulness, and more in their nominations:

'Far and Beyond'

"My son was born with a club foot. He's had to have two surgeries with an external fixator [surgical device that stabilizes and immobilizes fractured or misaligned bones] that is really painful for him. We had so many great nurses while we were at UVA Health for six days — one completely overdid her job and went far and beyond to make sure my son was comfortable and to make sure that I was comfortable or if I needed anything she was right there.

"He was in so much pain that nothing would help. Gui stayed on top of getting in touch with the doctors and asking for another pain medication that would help or something that would help him sleep. After a few hours of her being his nurse, his pain was finally under control.

"She made us laugh and made sure we knew exactly what was going on at all times. When my son was finally able to sleep, she made sure he did not get woken up for something that could have waited another 30 minutes to an hour — and I really appreciated that!

"I'm sure I'm forgetting some things that she did for him — but overall, she gave us the best experience since we had been there and she has a heart of gold. Thank you so much, you definitely made our stay a lot easier and a lot more comfortable than it would have been without you!" 

'Extraordinary Nurse'

"Gui was an extraordinary nurse for our son. She was very thorough and attentive. After not having had a great experience the day before, she was the perfect nurse for our son to have after that.

"She is very knowledgeable and an excellent nurse. I appreciate her ability to make us feel comfortable and know that our son was taken care of."

'Made All the Difference'

"We recently had the daunting experience of spending a few nights in the hospital with our young child during a snowstorm. We met Gui on our first morning. Our daughter needed an NG [nasogastric] tube [thin, flexible tube inserted through the nose into the stomach]. She wasn't tolerating the insertion very well. Gui maintained a calm, positive attitude and helped us work on a different solution to this problem.

"During our stay, Gui took extra special care to make sure every member of our family felt comfortable and cared for. She explained everything clearly to us and answered any questions. We grew very fond of her quickly and were encouraged every morning when she would walk in at shift change. Her presence made all the difference in making our stay at UVA Health as pleasant as possible for a hospital stay."

Know a Fabulous Nurse?

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

"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.