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Jennifer Crawfoot, RN, Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU), recently cared for a woman who was nearing the end of her life. The family was devastated by the news, so Jennifer made special gifts for the patient’s teenage daughters using their mom’s heartbeat. A colleague nominated Jennifer for a DAISY Award for this act of kindness. Jennifer received the honor at a surprise ceremony on her unit. Read the full nomination below.

“Jen is one of the most caring nurses I have ever had the privilege to work with. She consistently goes above and beyond for all of her patients and gives the most compassionate and respectful care to patients at end of life. One night, Jen was taking care of a critically ill patient who was a young mother. It became obvious as the shift went on that this patient was dying. Jen made the room a clean and peaceful environment as she welcomed her patient’s husband and teenage daughters in for them to say their goodbyes. The family was, as one can imagine, extremely emotional and upset, and Jen stayed with them, providing a comforting and compassionate presence as they grieved.  As they were leaving the hospital, she printed out strips of her patients EKG tracing and packaged them beautifully in jars as gifts for her daughters.  This meant the world to these heartbroken girls to have a memento of their mom in this way.  This situation is one of many, many ways in which Jen goes beyond regular nursing care to nurture people in a holistic way. She is truly a blessing to all her patients and a living example of the kind of nurse I aspire to be.”

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The Nursing Professional Governance Organization honors up to two UVA RNs each month with a DAISY Award. Nominations may be submitted by patients, patient families, visitors, and fellow UVA team members. Learn more at uvadaisy.com.