‘She’s my guardian angel’: Nurse’s selfless act earns DAISY recognition
April 2, 2025 -- An illness led Anitra Kraus to be transported to Reid Health's Emergency Room in mid-January, leaving no time to grab extra items.
Once there, she met Aubree Perry, an admission and
discharge RN for the Progressive Care unit on 4 East at Reid. Perry went above
and beyond to help connect Kraus with the essential items she needed for an
overnight stay and she'd need before returning home safely amid a snowstorm.
March's DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses® at Reid
Health recognizes Perry for her act of kindness, compassion, and exceptional
care.
"She's my guardian angel," Kraus said.
Reid's program is part of the DAISY Foundation's mission
to recognize the extraordinary, compassionate care nurses provide patients and
families every day. Patients, families, colleagues, and community members can submit nominations for nurses to
receive the recognition. A committee of colleagues selects the recipient during
a blind review process.
"Upon learning the Emergency Medical Services had brought
me in without my cell phone, coat, or boots, she offered to go to my apartment
on her own time to get them," Kraus wrote in the nomination.
"She braved a major snowstorm to do it. She even packed
up my CPAP and brought it to me. I'm a 69-year-old lady with no family in the
area to call. When she returned, she even warned me to be careful when I returned
home as the stairway into the apartment was filling up with snow and ice."
On March 31, Perry was at the nurses' station when a
parade of Reid administrators; her husband, Jason; young daughters, Harper and
Shiloh; co-workers; EMS; and Kraus arrived to surprise her with the award,
balloons, flowers, and cinnamon rolls.
"I was just doing everything I felt I was led to do. This
is all very sweet," Perry said.
The DAISY Award is presented monthly during a
surprise celebration. Each honoree receives a certificate commending their work
as an extraordinary nurse and the meaningful difference they can make in the
lives of others.
For Perry, being an exceptional nurse is about putting
others first.
"It's doing things with the mindset of others and not
being focused on yourself," Perry said.
A native of Arcanum, Ohio, Perry now lives in Winchester,
Indiana. She joined Reid Health as a Nursing Care Assistant in 2018 before
becoming a night charge nurse in 2020. The last year she's been an
administrative discharge nurse.
"Aubree exemplifies the heart of nursing, going beyond
medical care to truly support and uplift her patients," said Misti
Foust-Cofield, Vice President/Chief Nursing Officer at Reid Health.
"Her kindness and selflessness in ensuring Anitra
had what she needed, even in the middle of a snowstorm, is exactly why we
recognize nurses like her with the DAISY Award."
Anna Osborn-Brown, Senior Director of Nursing at Reid,
said Perry's dedication and compassion reflect the highest standards of patient
care.
"Aubree's willingness to go the extra mile without
hesitation demonstrates the profound impact nurses can have on the lives of
their patients," Osborn-Brown said.
About the DAISY Foundation
The DAISY Award is part of the DAISY Foundation's mission to recognize the
extraordinary, compassionate nursing care they provide patients and families
every day. The DAISY Award was established in memory of J. Patrick Barnes by
members of his family after he passed away from complications of idiopathic
thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), a little known but not uncommon auto-immune
disease. The care Patrick and his family received while he was ill inspired
this unique means of thanking nurses for making a profound difference in the
lives of their patients and patient families. More information is available at http://DAISYfoundation.org.
To nominate a
nurse for a DAISY Award, visit https://www.reidhealth.org/daisy-award.