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CTICU nurse receives MUSC DAISY Award by Heather Woolwine Public Relations The winner of January’s MUSC DAISY (Diseases Attacking the Immune System) Award is Karen Davis, R.N., Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit (CTICU).   Presented by Nurse Alliance chair Cindy Hough, R.N., Transplant, and chair-elect Pam Smith, R.N., Pediatric Emergency Services, the DAISY Award is given monthly to an MUSC nurse who embodies the efforts and vast knowledge required of a nurse in today’s health care system.   Created by the DAISY Foundation to recognize nurses throughout the country, the award is co-sponsored by Sandpiper Retirement Community, a continuum of care retirement community in Mount Pleasant.   Bob Anthony, R.N., CTICU nurse manager, read the nomination form submitted by Davis’ coworker, Jennifer Elsken, R.N., “I am a new employee in the CTICU and Karen is my preceptor. I have never met someone who cares so compassionately for her patients and their families. She takes the time to thoroughly explain to all of them exactly what is going on in the room. I know this helps them feel more at ease with all of the equipment surrounding their loved one. She’s really good at communicating with other members of the health care team and I am learning so much more than I had hoped to, and I just wanted her to be recognized as an outstanding nurse.”   All DAISY Award winners receive an African Shona Tribe sculpture entitled, “A Healer’s Touch,” a framed certificate, a daisy bouquet, and a DAISY Award pin. The DAISY Foundation also provides cinnamon rolls for all the nurses in the winner’s unit.   MUSC is among 50 medical facilities honoring nurses with The DAISY Award. This is one initiative of the foundation whose overall goal is to help fight diseases of the immune system.     The not-for-profit DAISY Foundation was established by J. Mark Barnes and his family in memory of his son, J. Patrick, who died at the age of 33 from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), a little known but not uncommon autoimmune disease. The care Patrick and his family received from nurses inspired this unique means of thanking nurses for making a profound difference in the lives of their patients and patient families.   For information on the DAISY Award, visit http://www.daisyfoundation.org. Friday, Feb. 10, 2006 Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Island papers at 849-1778, ext. 201.