Mary Davidson, RN, H4 – Trauma/SICU/CVICU
Please join the Center for Nursing Excellence in congratulating Mary Davidson, RN, for being selected as the DAISY Award recipient for the month of March!
Mary Davidson, RN, works on H4 – Trauma/SICU/CVICU, and was nominated by a patient. The nomination below reflects how Mary impacted their life in a very special way.
Nomination: I love the Wizard of Oz movie and I can relate my journey through UAMS during my surgery with the movie. The reason I wrote this is to honor Mary Davidson (the good nurse).
I started this journey in January 2023. The wizard I remember first is Dr Garcia. He saw me in the emergency department and in the most confident way explained with all this bad news.
The surgery was performed and the next thing I knew I was waking up to see my family’s faces.
The next few days were not at all fun or easy but was made better by Mary Davidson, the most exceptional angel nurse I have met. She came in the next morning after a rough night. She was very kind and reassuring about my complaints. While I told her, what I’m sure she had heard a thousand times, she listened and started to rub my spasming neck and shoulders all the while speaking in such a calming voice./
She shared cute stories that kept my mind off my misery and talked with my RN daughter like they had been best friends. She encouraged me to get up out of bed and sit in the chair and when the physical therapist came by, helped me get everything ready for a stroll down the hall. She was so encouraging.
After another miserable night I woke the next morning to see her sweet smiling face. She again gave me encouraging words about my progress and ideas she had to make things better. As she talked to me, she started to rub my neck and scalp (you know it’s been a few days since a head wash). She then asked me if I’d like for her to braid my hair. What a wonderful idea! I told her I had a comb and rubber bands with me, and she spent the next hour braiding my hair. What luxury and it felt so good and lasted until I got home.
I told her she should be teaching a compassion class. I know the nursing students get an excellent education but how do you teach them compassion? How would they know it’s alright to do extra things for their patients?
She’s not my last exceptional person I met because I meet more people every time, I visit UAMS but she is the absolutely most professional and compassionate nurse I have ever known.
During my journey, there was no wicked witch encountered and a couple of flying monkeys that tried to get in but were not allowed. /
My stay at UAMS was only a week but my ties to the UAMS outpatient clinic will continue for the rest of my life.
There are some truths from the movie that are exampled at UAMS.
One is “It’s not where you go but the people you meet along the way”.
But Dorthy was right about one thing. “There’s no place like home!”
Great job, Mary!
To learn more about The DAISY Award or to nominate a deserving licensed nurse, please visit: DAISY Award