Adam Blackerby, RN, F4 – Trauma Progressive Care
Please join the Center for Nursing Excellence in congratulating Adam Blackerby, RN, for being selected as the DAISY Award recipient for the month of April!
Adam Blackerby, RN, works on F4 – Trauma Progressive Care, and was nominated by a co-worker. The nomination below reflects how Adam impacted their life in a very special way.
Nomination: My grandma was in a critical car accident, when a driver ran a stop sign and the air bag did not deploy. She was transported to UAMS and in the ICU for pain management of her fractured cervical, thoracic spine and sternum. The trauma caused significant swelling and a subdural hematoma. Adam was the first person on her care team to not only make her laugh, but exemplify compassionate care. I have never seen my grandma in this much pain, she is a tough and strong-willed woman with a kind servant’s heart. Adam recognized this immediately and his presence, persistence, and comfort eased her anxiety exponentially. As a night shift nurse that loves on little babies in the NICU it was heartwarming to see someone love on my elderly grandma in the ICU. He made her laugh over photos of deer hunting, a shared passion. She may be 81, but she is an avid hunter. Adam took the time to give her his undivided attention, and noticed her oxygen level declining. He acted quickly to assess her for need for oxygen and checked the comfort of her C-collar even putting in a note for a softer brace to help with circulation and joking with her about a “cone of shame” as she referred to it. He advocated for her pain management and remained attentive all night. Adam stood at the bedside, eye-level to her and asked how she was feeling. He educated her on the diagnosis and answered our questions thoroughly without dismissing any concerns. I nominate Adam Blackerby to be the next Daisy Award recipient, because of his extraordinary efforts and dedication to ease my grandma’s anxiety along with my own. His willingness and persistence was encouraging to me and his uplifting attitude was contagious. Without reading his badge title, one might presume he was the head of the trauma team the way he knew her as a patient but also a person. He did not interject, dismiss, or delay her pain. Instead surprisingly without pain medication for the first time she got a good nights rest when before no pain medicine was enough to alleviate her discomfort. To me this speaks volumes. He allowed my pregnant sister with twins who traveled far to visit after hours when he didn’t have to allow her to stay. Adam truly should be selected as recipient for this award, because he goes above and beyond to get on the patients level. As a nurse I see how it is easy to have a protocol mindset and see a patient as another number on the door. It is easy to overlook the little patient requests and prioritize medicine over the magnitude of kindness. Adam even brought a warm shower cap which brightened her morning and warmed my heart. If this visit at UAMS has taught me anything it is to truly see the patient behind the broken bones, tangled tubes, scans and scars. Please consider Adam for this award.
Great job, Adam!
To learn more about The DAISY Award or to nominate a deserving licensed nurse, please visit: DAISY Award