Episode 11:8 Bonnie Barnes on her Mission of Gratitude & the Importance of Recognition

The co-founder of The DAISY Foundation and the DAISY Award® for Extraordinary Nurses talks about recognizing the extraordinary compassion that nurses provide every day. With 2 million nominations and 200,000 awards to nurses in 33 countries, DAISY’s impact is well-documented, contributing to a healthy work environment, nurse retention, and the patient/family experience. Learn about the DAISY-sponsored grant for nurses doing specific research in advanced care and treatment of older adults.

About Bonnie

Bonnie Barnes, FAAN, and her husband, Mark, were retired, growing wine grapes in Sonoma, when Mark’s son Patrick developed a rare auto-immune disease in late 1999. Upon Patrick’s death following an 8-week illness, they established The DAISY Foundation in gratitude for the nurses’ care Patrick’s and the family experienced when he was in the hospital. The DAISY Award was created to provide meaningful recognition to compassionate nurses.

Today, The DAISY Award is celebrated in over 5,200 healthcare facilities and nursing schools internationally. DAISY’s impact is well-documented, contributing to a healthy work environment, nurse engagement, and enriching the patient/family experience. Bonnie and Mark are passionate about honoring nurses, no matter where they practice, no matter where they are in careers.

Key Takeaways

• DAISY enables patients and families to say thank you for the nursing care they experienced by sharing their stories of gratitude and how it made a difference. Research shows patients feel it creates a balance.
• Meaningful recognition is relevant and specific—it is not a pat on the back or pizza at the end of a long shift. Nurses need to be reminded of the reason they became nurses. It ties them to their purpose.
• There is a growing body of evidence that meaningful recognition offsets nurse burnout.
• DAISY grants money to nurses who are doing research and evidence-based projects on the treatment of older adults (for example fall prevention or food security) and how to mitigate social determinants of health.