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"You could tell how much the patient trusted Miriam Lopez." 

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 Jenny Ernest, Nursing Governance Coordinator, Nursing Professional Governance Office, surprised Miriam Lopez, RN, NPP, Labor and Delivery, with an award.

Mackenzie Morris, BSN, RN, NRP, wrote the emotional nominaton:

"Miriam is a phenomenal asset to our team here on labor and delivery. Every shift I work alongside her, I see her going above and beyond in her patient care. She develops a therapeutic relationship with every patient and their family. She is getting positive feedback consistently regarding the trust and compassion she encompasses in her care.

"Recently, Miriam worked an extremely difficult shift. One of our antepartum patients who was early on in her pregnancy, started laboring — and delivery was imminent. This all was happening right at shift change as Miriam was starting her shift and received this assignment. This was a preterm delivery in which the patient had a vaginal delivery in the operating room (OR). Unfortunately, multiple factors led to the baby passing away soon after delivery.

"Miriam stayed by her patient's side in the OR while the mom was staying with her baby, watching the baby be cared for by our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NIICU) team. This was just the start of an emotionally heavy shift for Miriam and her patient.

"The care I witnessed Miriam provide throughout this shift is something I will never forget. She advocated for her patient, limiting visitors in the room and allowing her patient to grieve with her baby in her arms. She used her clinical judgement and prioritized the patient's emotional needs over lab draws or other invasive medical tasks that could wait until the patient was ready.

"Miriam developed a therapeutic relationship with this patient and made sure all her needs were met. She provided exceptional bereavement care — handmaking a memory box for this mom and her beloved newborn. Miriam recognized the importance of not only the physical care needed to keep our patients safe, but also the emotional care that comes with our role. I know she made a positive impact on her patient during this incredibly sad time for her patient. You could tell how much the patient trusted Miriam Lopez and the care she provided."

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"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.