ABUJA (SUNDIATA POST)- Ms Rosemary Okoroafor, a nurse at Karshi General Hospital, a surbub of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has bagged the DAISY Foundation award for extraordinary nurses.
Okoroafor was conferred the award on Monday at the hospital premises by members of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses in North America (NANNNA).
At the award ceremony, Dr Emilia Iwu, a board member of NANNNA, said that the Diseases that Affect Immune Systems (DAISY) award was initiated in 1999 to recognise nurses, who gave very compassionate care to their patients.
She said the foundation was established after the death of Patrick Barnes, a 33 year old who died of a group of diseases that affected his immune system, but was taken very good care of by the nurses before his demise.
His family decided to honour his memory with the foundation and the nurses’ recognition.
She said it was a global award which had been going on but was just brought to Nigeria and would henceforth be done yearly in Nigeria.
“So we brought the DAISY award to Nigeria to really recognise Nigerian nurses who are giving excellent care, taking care of patients regardless of any situation they are faced with in the hospital.
“It has been happening in the United States and other countries, but DAISY and NANNNA are partnering to bring the award to Nigeria to recognise the excellent work nurses are doing in Nigeria.”
Iwu said that to be eligible, nurses are nominated by their patients and their families.
“It has to be a patient that actually received excellent care, showing that the nurse really stands out as somebody who is representing what nursing is about, which is compassionate care, a very caring nurse, or somebody who goes above and beyond.
“So anybody who receives the award, it really shows that that person is really an extraordinary nurse.”
The award recipient, Okoroafor, thanked the organisers for the award, adding that she was so proud to be a nurse and being the first recipient of the award in Nigeria.
“I didn’t know that I would be nominated in the first place, but I feel that’s the work of God and good work always pays.
“When you’re doing good things, nobody sees you, but God in heaven sees everything.
“My advice to my colleagues is that good work pays. I pray that they would also work hard.
“Do things with your heart, don’t do eye service, show compassion to the less privileged and your patients.”
Describing Okoroafor’s relationship with patients, the Head of Nursing at the Hospital, Ms Sarah Imohionsen, said that she was very caring and often referred to as “Maman Yara” because how often she helped even with patients’ bills.
“The kind of patients we have in Karshi are actually indigents. Most of them cannot actually afford their bills.
“We task ourselves, or at times we meet our Medical Director to write off the bills, and at other times we feed the patients, and she goes to all lengths to care for patients, either for drugs or blood.
“They know her around the hospital, so I am very happy with these little things we do, unnoticed, but it has been noticed today.”
Mr Jama Maden, the Chairman, National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), FCT, said that seeing a nurse from a rural area of the FCT showed that good things would always locate those deserving of it irrespective of their location.
“The little care and the little steps you take to help somebody extraordinarily will also be traced to wherever you are.”
Dr Esther Oshinluyi, Chair of the Health Mission Committee of NANNNA, said that the association was an umbrella body of nurses in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
She urged Nigerian nurses in the three countries to seek out the group as there were many benefits they could get from being members.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the DAISY Award is a recognition programme to celebrate and recognise nurses by collecting nominations from patients, families, and co-workers. (NAN)
