Grace Winn, RN and Megan Duncan, RN, Honored with DAISY Award

Two nurses at Parkwest Medical Center were honored today with The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses. The award is part of the DAISY Foundation’s program to recognize the super-human efforts nurses perform every day. The DAISY Award was established in 1999 by the family of a patient who had received extraordinary care and compassion from his nurses during his final days. Congratulations to Grace and Megan, two RNs on our Critical Care Unit for being recognized with the DAISY Award.  Grace and Megan were nominated by a patient’s family member for providing compassionate care to their loved one at the end of their life.

Grace and Megan’s Nomination

“March 4-5, 2022, the beginning of an ordinary weekend, which would present us with extraordinary circumstances accompanied and enriched by two remarkably exceptional nurses, Grace Winn and Megan Duncan, whose weekend of work would enrich our lives forever. These two women forged a pathway for my family member’s passing to be serene, peaceful, and comfortable with all of us by his side.

Our paths diverged slowly. His daughter flew from Cork, Ireland and his sister- in-law flew from Fort Wayne, Indiana. His sister and brother-in-law also drove in from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania and his wife, the love of his life, was by his side navigating what would be the ending chapter of his life.

Once we gathered as a family, both Grace and Megan surrounded us with a professionalism deeply tinged with empathy, wisdom, gentleness and knowledge of what decision we all needed to make to move him out of pain and suffering.

Grace’s powerful words helped encourage us that we were making the right decision, and Megan was constantly by our side with support. Each of us that day found an angel, a friend and a companion to guide us through his last hours.

The miracle of these two women is that our dear family member was simply not just another patient in their care. We all gathered together in this extraordinary moment. The amazing part was that Grace and Megan offered these same gifts of spiritual, physical and emotional support to every single patient they encountered.

To all of us, their steadfast kindness and professional demeanor reminded us of how fortunate we all were to have our paths cross. Perhaps no one was more fortunate to cross their paths than him. They cared for him as if they knew him, as if he were one of their family members. They also cared for his entire family exactly the same.

We leaned on them and knew they would never let us down. We laughed and prayed with them. We also shared our life stories with them. Grace and Megan listened intently as if we were the most important people in the critical care unit. The truth be told, Grace and Megan were offering exactly the same quality of care to numbers of patients on these days. We are positive that as I write this letter today, Grace and Megan are dispensing comfort, care and compassion to their new patients and family members.

March 4-5 began as an ordinary weekend and ended as a transformative one. Each of us will move back into our new normal lives and our journeys will continue. We will be forever linked to Grace Winn and Megan Duncan.

Someone once said that when you are a nurse, you know every day you will touch a life.

Grace Winn and Megan Duncan did just that and their imprints will be in our hearts forever.

Thank you both.”

Nurses may be nominated by patients, families, and colleagues, and they are chosen by a committee at Parkwest Medical Center to receive The DAISY Award. To nominate a nurse today visit www.TreatedWell.com/DAISY.