Author: Sarah Barber
"I am very surprised and honored,” Camargo said. “This is a team effort; this isn’t just me that takes care of patients here. I am very honored to work with such a great team."
McLaren Greater Lansing nurse Lauren Camargo was honored with the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses. The award is part of the DAISY Foundation’s program to recognize the exceptional care nurses provide every day.
The nomination, submitted by Lauren’s co-workers, read as follows: “Lauren Camargo has endured this past 14 months with compassion and grace. Her clinical knowledge and expertise in supporting patients during critical illness and end of life is second to none. Lauren has been creative in utilizing video meets, consistently communicating with families, and making that connection when in-person visiting hasn’t been allowed or is limited. We have witnessed so much grace and calmness from Lauren; her professionalism has shown through. Our ICU couldn’t do it without her. Thanks, Lauren, for being you and for being a part of our team.”
Camargo was rewarded by hospital leadership and co-workers and received a certificate commending her for being an “Extraordinary Nurse,” as well as a sculpture called “A Healer’s Touch,” hand-carved by artists of the Shona people in Zimbabwe.
“I am very surprised and honored,” Camargo said. “This is a team effort; this isn’t just me that takes care of patients here. I am very honored to work with such a great team.”
About the DAISY Award
The not-for-profit DAISY Foundation, based in Glen Ellen, California, was established by family members in memory of J. Patrick Barnes. Barnes died at the age of 33 in late 1999 from complications of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), a little-known but not uncommon autoimmune disease. The care Barnes and his family received from nurses while he was ill inspired this unique means of thanking nurses for making a profound difference in the lives of patients and their families.
“When Patrick was critically ill, our family experienced firsthand the remarkable skill and care nurses provide patients every day and night,” said Bonnie Barnes, president and co-founder of the DAISY Foundation. “Yet these unsung heroes are seldom recognized for the superhuman work they do. The kind of work the nurses at McLaren Greater Lansing are called on to do every day epitomizes the purpose of the DAISY Award.”