For more than 25 years, the DAISY Award has stood as a symbol of gratitude for nurses who demonstrate extraordinary clinical skills and compassionate care. The program began to honor the nurses who cared for Patrick Barnes after he died in 1999 from an autoimmune disease—Immune Thrombocytopenia (ITP).
During the eight weeks of his hospitalization, his nurses helped the family through their darkest hour. In the months after Patrick’s death, his dad Mark, stepmom Bonnie, and wife, Tena, founded the nonprofit organization “Diseases Attacking the Immune System” (DAISY).
Since then, the DAISY Award® for Extraordinary Nurses has become a strategic tool, adopted by healthcare organizations and nursing schools worldwide. The DAISY Award for Nurse Leaders celebrates those who go beyond daily responsibilities to inspire, guide, and advocate for their teams and patients alike.
The DAISY Award reinforces and supports Magnet submissions. We had the distinct honor and pleasure of speaking with Tena Barnes about the award and expanded recognition to include nurse leaders.
The Heart of the DAISY Award
Tena Barnes spoke about the qualities The DAISY Award recognizes in nurses and nurse leaders, listing those that transcend job titles and are equally vital in leadership roles, such as compassion, empathy, advocacy, trust, professionalism, kindness, and resilience.
“These are all things that come to mind when I think about the qualities of nurses who have received the DAISY Award and that make a difference in the patient experience,” she said.
For nurse leaders, their influence may be seen in the support they offer staff during a crisis, the safe and trusting cultures they cultivate, or the mentorship they provide to new nurses. Their dedication to nursing excellence is deeply felt across entire teams and departments. The DAISY Award acknowledges this ripple effect, honoring the leaders who make compassionate, patient-centered care possible at every level.
Expanding the Spotlight: Why Nurse Leaders?
Recognizing the pivotal role nurse leaders play in shaping patient care and nursing practice, they introduced the DAISY Nurse Leader Award in 2015 to honor nurse leaders—such as managers, directors, educators, and other nurse leaders—who are instrumental in fostering trust, promoting professional development, and modeling ethical behavior.
“The Leader Award was created for a different purpose,” she explained. “It is to be able to recognize those nurses who typically don’t have direct patient care as part of their job. It’s for leaders who create an environment where those characteristics of care, compassion, and empathy can thrive.”
Their leadership directly influences team morale, staff retention, and the overall quality of patient care. The DAISY Foundation seeks to highlight the often-unseen efforts of leaders in advancing the nursing profession. The DAISY Nurse Leader Award distinguishes itself by focusing on the unique impact of nursing leadership.
The nomination process uses blind reviews against established criteria, ensuring a fair and consistent selection. Honorees receive a special DAISY Nurse Leader certificate, a unique recognition pin, and a Healer’s Touch sculpture, symbolizing their profound influence on nursing practice.
What Makes a Leader Shine: Standout Qualities in Nominations
The DAISY Nurse Leader Award honors nurse leaders who exemplify exceptional leadership qualities and profoundly influence staff morale, patient outcomes, and the overall culture of care. Nominations that detail specific instances where nurse leaders have exhibited these qualities provide compelling evidence.
Stories that illustrate how a leader’s actions have positively influenced staff experiences, patient care, or organizational culture are particularly powerful in the selection process. Tena Barnes explained some of the distinct criteria for the Nurse Leader Award, including
“…how nurse leaders create an environment of trust, compassion, and mutual respect. They are available, responsive to the needs of their team, and problem solve, encourage critical thinking in their staff, and advocate for their team,” she clarified.
Nominations often highlight the standout qualities that are vital criteria in Magnet designation, such as exemplary professional practice and empirical outcomes. Magnet status is associated with a strong nursing culture, and organizations may adopt the DAISY Award to help foster and document a culture of recognition, accountability, and patient-centered care.
The Impact Beyond the Award
Tena Barnes explained that while healthcare organizations are given guidance by The DAISY Foundation, they are free to develop their own criteria for the Nurse Leader Award. While that is the case, she has found that there are common criteria across their partners, demonstrating that the factors most hospitals and staff feel are important to great leadership are similar across the healthcare industry.
“If I were to randomly choose 10 leader nominations, you would see that a lot of the themes and comments are similar. For example, the stories would include how the leaders create a strong environment and make the staff feel valued, supported, and seen. It’s not a cookie-cutter approach, but rather we want organizations to choose criteria that fit their culture and within their mission,” she elaborated.
The impact of The DAISY Nurse Leader Award extends beyond ceremonial recognition; it serves as a catalyst for professional growth and organizational improvement, especially as seen through the lens of creating a strong nursing environment and achieving Magnet recognition.
A Final Word to Hospitals
Integrating the DAISY Nurse Leader Award into your organization’s recognition programs can significantly improve exemplary leadership within nursing. By celebrating those who cultivate environments of trust, compassion, and excellence, hospitals not only honor individual achievements but also promote a culture that values and uplifts effective leadership.
Learn more about partnering with The DAISY Foundation on their website and bring the Awards to your hospital as one step toward recognizing your nursing staff, developing a culture of nursing excellence that addresses a strong component of Magnet recognition.
When you’d like to explore Magnet recognition and the many benefits it brings to your institution, call Tipton Health . We use proven strategies to drive nursing engagement, leadership development, and improve patient outcomes. Contact us today and discover how we help you work strategically to develop nursing leaders whose efforts improve your organizational outcomes.