Shortly after beginning care, Katie McNichols, a registered nurse at Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital, noted her patient was withdrawn, avoided conversations and was unwilling to even try to walk.

Within a day McNichols helped the patient walk 20 feet. With this breakthrough the patient expressed to McNichols her desire to eventually travel again. With continued daily encouragement from McNichols, she had the patient walking 150 feet, sitting in a chair and eating meals. The patient was discharged and hopes to once again travel to visit family across the US.

“Katie’s persistence with a patient who was initially disengaged in her plan of care allowed her to make a difference in this patient’s outcome,” said Lisa Lockett, nursing float pool manager. “She never gave up.”

For her exceptional commitment to patient care, McNichols was awarded the November Daisy Award.

The DAISY Foundation began in 1999 in memory of J. Patrick Barnes, son of Bonnie and Mark, who passed away at age 33 of complication of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (IPT). Being grateful for all of the nurses who cared for their son, the Barnes family established the foundation, which has had over 200,000 nurses nominated in seven different countries.