A Saint Michael’s Emergency Department nurse who cared for thousands of patients during the pandemic was honored with the DAISY Foundation’s Daisy Award, which honors the super-human work nurses do for patients and families every day.
Sindhu Mathew, who has worked at Saint Michael’s since 2009, was recognized for encompassing core nursing values and her willingness to help others and meet the needs of patients.
“Sindhu has earned the respect of the Emergency Department attendings, residents, co-workers and patients who have witnessed her compassion, leadership and professionalism time and time again,” said Nancy Bisco Flora, the chief nursing officer.
“Sindhu has great nursing skills and never hesitates to resolve difficult situations and she handles stress with ease,” Bisco-Flora said. “She is a role model to others, always fair and calm, even in very challenging times. Sindhu’s work ethic is strong, and her priority is to ensure patients receive safe quality care. She treats everyone with dignity and respect and her smile is contagious.”
The DAISY (an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System) Foundation was started in Glen Allen, Calif., by family members of J. Patrick Barnes, who died from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), a little-known but not uncommon auto-immune disease.
As a way of thanking Barnes’s nurses, his family established the award program.
The DAISY Award ceremony, held before colleagues, honored Mathew with the “Extraordinary Nurse” certificate, which reads: “In deep appreciation of all you do, who you are, and the incredibly meaningful difference you make in the lives of so many people.”
Mathew also received a DAISY Award pin, a hand-carved serpentine stone sculpture, entitled “A Healer’s Touch,” and of course, daisies.
To read more about the DAISY award, please visit www.DAISYfoundation.org.
