Felicia Loya, RN IV, E4 – Medical/Neuro Intensive Care Unit
Please join the Center for Nursing Excellence in congratulating Felicia Loya, RN IV, for being selected as the DAISY Award recipient for the month of July!
Felicia Loya, RN IV, E4 – Medical/Neuro Intensive Care Unit and was nominated by 4 Family Members of Patients. The nomination below reflects how Felicia impacted their lives in a very special way.
Nomination #1:
I am honored to nominate Felicia for the DAISY Award in recognition of the exceptional care she provided to my father-in-law during his time in the ICU.
Felicia consistently demonstrated truly compassionate care in every interaction. She treated my father-in-law with dignity and respect, even during moments when he was confused and vulnerable. What stood out most was how she always spoke to him as a person, not just a patient, ensuring he felt seen, heard, and valued despite his condition.
She also extended that same compassion to our entire family. Felicia showed genuine empathy, taking the time to listen, comfort, and support us during an incredibly stressful and emotional time. Her presence brought reassurance when we needed it most.
What makes Felicia especially deserving of this recognition is her clinical judgment and courage. Her willingness to speak up and advocate for my father-in-law, combined with her decisive actions, played a critical role in saving his life. We firmly believe that without her attentiveness and advocacy, the outcome could have been very different.
Felicia embodies the very essence of the DAISY Award—compassion, respect, advocacy, and excellence in nursing care. Our family will always be grateful for the difference she made in our lives.
Nomination #2:
I am honored to nominate Felicia for the DAISY Award for the outstanding care she gave my husband while he was in the ICU following complications from a stem cell transplant.
During this time, my husband was critically ill, and our family was terrified. There was discussion about transferring him out of the ICU and back to E7, but Felicia recognized how serious his condition still was. She spoke up with confidence and compassion, making it clear that she did not feel he was stable enough to leave the ICU. As his wife, I cannot put into words how much that meant to me. She trusted what she was seeing, used her nursing judgment, and advocated for him when he was too sick to advocate for himself.
The very next day, my husband coded and had to be placed on a ventilator. I truly believe that if Felicia had not stood firm and helped keep him in the ICU, the outcome could have been very different. Her actions may have saved his life, and that is something I will never forget.
Felicia was more than just his nurse. She was his voice, his protector, and a source of strength during one of the most frightening moments of our lives. She treated him with dignity, watched him closely, and cared for him with the kind of compassion that families pray for when their loved one is critically ill.
Felicia represents everything a nurse should be: skilled, brave, attentive, compassionate, and willing to speak up when it matters most. As his wife, I will always be grateful for the care she gave my husband and for the courage she showed in protecting him. UAMS is very fortunate to have such an amazing nurse. She is truly deserving of the DAISY Award.
Nomination #3:
My father was critically ill after a stem cell transplant and was admitted to the MICU. He spent some time on a ventilator after being resuscitated. Felicia showed our family kindness from the moment she met us. She helped us to advocate for our father, checked on him every 15 minutes, and rooted for my dad with every bit of progress he has made. For every positive progress made, she cheered him on and did everything in her power to push his progress forward. She treated my father like family and cared for him as such. Her compassion and knowledge of her field know no bounds. Felicia’s nursing and kindness should set the standard for all in healthcare. I am grateful to have had her as my father’s nurse during such a scary, vulnerable time. She is truly a shining light in such a place that needs the brightest.
Nomination #4:
I want to nominate Felicia for the DAISY Award because of the incredible care, courage, and advocacy she showed for my father while he was critically ill in the ICU following complications from a stem cell transplant.
During his ICU stay, my dad was extremely sick. One of the ICU doctors was considering transferring him back to E7, but Felicia stood firm and respectfully voiced her concern that he was not stable enough to be moved out of the ICU. She did not just go along with the plan because it was easier. She paid close attention to his condition, trusted her nursing judgment, and advocated for what she truly believed was safest for him.
The very next day, my dad coded and had to be placed on a ventilator. I truly believe that if Felicia had not spoken up and he had been transferred to E7, he would not be alive today. Her willingness to stand up for him made all the difference. She saw how sick he was, she understood the risk, and she fought for him when he could not fight for himself.
Felicia was not only clinically excellent, but also compassionate, calm, and reassuring during one of the scariest times our family has ever faced. She treated my dad with dignity and treated our family with kindness. In a moment when everything felt uncertain, she gave us confidence that someone was truly watching over him.
Felicia is amazing, and she is the true definition of what it means to be an exceptional nurse. She is the kind of nurse every family hopes their loved one will have: skilled, brave, caring, and willing to advocate even when it is difficult. Our family will never forget what she did for our dad, and we are forever grateful for her.
Thank you, Felicia!