In August 2020, The DAISY Foundation welcomed the International Home Care Nurses Organization (IHCNO) to the DAISY community of Supportive Associations. Both organizations have a global footprint and share a drive to ensure that nurses are honored for the compassionate care they provide to patients and their families at home, where more and more care is being given.
The mission of IHCNO is to develop and support a vibrant worldwide network of nurses who promote excellence in providing optimal health and well-being to patients living in their homes. The organization's support for DAISY will help introduce DAISY's ongoing nurse recognition program, The DAISY Award(R) for Extraordinary Nurses, to home healthcare agency employers, private duty nursing agencies, and community-based services. This award provides the meaningful recognition home care nurses so deserve for their important contribution to patient and family care.
The DAISY Foundation was founded in 1999 by the family of J. Patrick Barnes who died at age 33 of complications of the autoimmune disease idiopathic thrombocytopenia purpura. (DAISY stands for Diseases Attacking the Immune System.) Deeply touched by the compassionate care of his nurses, Patrick's family felt compelled upon his death to say Thank You to nurses for all they do every day. The DAISY Award(R) does just that, giving patients, families, and co-workers a way to share how nurses made a meaningful difference in their care. Honorees are selected throughout the year in each of the over 4,500 healthcare facilities, home care and hospice organizations, and nursing schools with which DAISY partners. To date, more than 144,000 nurses have been honored and 1.8 million nominated for The DAISY Award throughout the United States and in 28 other countries.
DAISY aims to honor nurses wherever they practice, wherever they are in their careers. Currently, home care nurses who work for health systems and hospitals are usually eligible to be nominated for The DAISY Award. IHCNO announces that in honor of Home Health and Hospice Month, it will soon help expand access to The DAISY Award for nurses employed by home care agencies and other home nurse employers by implementing The DAISY Award. IHCNO will present an annual DAISY Award to a home health nurse and recognize all who are nominated.
Agencies, employers of home health nurses, patients, and family members may submit nominations to IHCNO, sharing the stories of registered or licensed nurses' above-and-beyond compassion to patients and families. Nominees will receive a copy of their nomination and a DAISY nominee pin. The annual honoree will receive an award certificate, award pin, and A Healer's Touch-a hand-carved sculpture carved in Zimbabwe. Importantly, the honoree's nomination story will be featured in both organization's social media and on DAISY's and IHCNO's website.
Check http://www.IHCNO.org for further nomination information. Criteria will focus on compassionate care, and each year's honoree will be selected by a panel of home health nurses. For more information, please email mailto:[email protected].
We look forward to reading and sharing the exemplary stories of care home health nurses are providing patients and families! The timing for this innovative application of The DAISY Award could not be better.