Lompoc Valley Medical Center Registered Nurse Maria Chavez was recognized Thursday with the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses.
The international award is part of the DAISY Foundation’s mission to recognize the extraordinary, compassionate nursing care provided to patients and families every day.
Chavez, who was previously a house supervisor and now is an RN in case management, has been with LVMC for five years.
“Maria has a heart of gold,” a nomination letter stated.
Her award focused on an interaction Chavez had with a patient who uniquely had a pet rooster. On one occasion, Chavez learned it was the man’s birthday and bought him a piece of cake. She then had staff members sing “Happy Birthday” to him.
Another time, the man was admitted as an inpatient but could not have his rooster with him.
“Maria worked hard reaching out to people she knew to see if there was anything they could do to ensure the rooster was safe until the gentleman was able to care for him again,” the nomination noted.
“Maria reached out to a friend that had a ranch and arranged for the rooster to be picked up from Animal Control and taken to her friend’s ranch,” the nomination stated. “The rooster was safe, and the man felt better knowing his pet was being cared for … Maria went above and beyond to treat this man with the care and respect that he deserves. Maria has the true heart of a nurse.”
Chavez said she was absolutely shocked to receive the award, which was presented in a surprise ceremony at her office.
“He was a very nice gentleman,” she said of the patient at the center of her nomination. “He was always pleasant and left the rooster outside when he was here.”
The rooster was like family to the man, she said. “That was his life,” Maria said.
Being able to help a patient such as that is why she wanted to move into case management, she said of the role she has had for a few months.
Chavez said she became a nurse because she likes taking care of people. She has been a nurse for 25 years. “I always knew I wanted to be a nurse, from the time I was wee little,” she said.
Nurses are nominated for the DAISY by patients, families and colleagues. The not-for-profit DAISY Foundation was established in memory of J. Patrick Barnes by members of his family and honors nurses for making a profound difference in the lives of their patients and patient families.
Barnes died in 1999 at the age of 33 from complications caused by ITP, or idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, an auto-immune disease. DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System. The foundation was inspired by the care Barnes and his family received from nurses while he was ill.
In addition to a certificate, Maria received a DAISY Award pin and a sculpture called A Healer’s Touch, hand-carved by artists of the Shona Tribe in Zimbabwe.
More about the award is available at daisyfoundation.org.
To nominate a nurse at LVMC, Lompoc Health or the Comprehensive Care Center, see the nomination form at lompocvmc.com, under the Resources tab and Patient Feedback link.