CMH announces DAISY Award winner
Contact: Sarah Bello
Erin Irwin, RN, BSN, honored
CMH is pleased to announce hospice nurse Erin Irwin as its most recent recipient of the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses.
Irwin is CMH’s sixth DAISY Award honoree. She was nominated by the husband of a patient who received care from Lower Columbia Hospice after being diagnosed with a brain tumor.
“Erin was proficient and professional. She informed, educated and thoughtfully examined every aspect of my wife’s journey. More importantly, Erin was a marvelous human being: funny, quick, kind and in the end as much a friend as the many loved ones who had come to say goodbye,” the patient’s husband said.
“When my wife went from a cane to a walker, to a wheelchair, Erin was there. When she went from speech to silence, Erin was there. When she lay unconscious and serene in her bed, Erin bathed her. And when she passed into the spirit world, Erin cleaned and clothed the beautiful body … Having Erin Irwin as our hospice nurse was extraordinary. The end of my wife’s wonderful life was made more beautiful by Erin.”
The DAISY Foundation was created in 1999 after 33-year-old J. Patrick Barnes died from complications from an auto-immune disease. DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System.
Barnes spent the last eight weeks of his life in hospitals while he was treated for his ITP symptoms. The nursing care he received profoundly impacted his family. Barnes’ family created the foundation and award to honor nurses who provide outstanding care to patients and patient families.
Award recipients receive a DAISY pin, a personalized certificate, a stone sculpture made by the Shona people of Zimbabwe titled “The Healer’s Touch,” and cinnamon rolls — a treat Barnes enjoyed while hospitalized. “The Healer’s Touch” represents the bond between nurses and their patients.
Irwin will be highlighted on the DAISY Foundation website and will be eligible to apply for several scholarships.
CMH will continue recognizing DAISY honorees throughout the year. If you have a great story about a CMH nurse, please submit it to Noelle Lund at nlund@columbiamemorial.org or at columbiamemorial.org/daisy.