EGRMC’s Jennifer Manuel, R.N., honored with DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses

Jennifer Manuel, R.N., was recently awarded the Nurse Leader DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses at East Georgia Regional Medical Center. Jennifer began her career at EGRMC in November 2009, and works as a nurse in Same Day Surgery.

Here is an excerpt from her nomination:

“In 2017, East Georgia Regional Medical Center began a Nursing Shared Governance program. Shared Governance is a professional practice model that promotes nursing empowerment and shared nursing decision-making. It allows our nursing team to hold themselves accountable for decisions that impact policies, procedures, and processes at the point of care. One of the first nurses to join this new program was Jennifer. She also graciously offered to lead the group and has been an exemplary leader since the Shared Governance’s inception. Not only has she recruited other nurses to the group, but has also led the way in revising multiple nursing policies, assisted in the implementation of the International DAISY Award, is the event planner for Nurses Week each year, and countless other duties on top of her responsibilities as a nurse in our Same Day Surgery department. Jennifer is a true leader. We all know that a leader is not a title; rather, a true leader has integrity, honesty, humility, has a clear focus and is well respected. All of these attributes describe Jennifer Manuel.”

“We are proud to be among the hospital systems participating in The DAISY Award program,” said Stephen Pennington, CEO of East Georgia Regional Medical Center. “Our nurses have gone above and beyond the call of duty this past year to make sure our patients received the best care possible, and I’m honored to recognize Jennifer in particular for her level of dedication and the compassion she shows each day.”

The DAISY Foundation is a not-for-profit organization, established in memory of J. Patrick Barnes, by members of his family. Patrick died at the age of 33 in late 1999 from complications of an auto-immune disease. DAISY is an acronym for “Diseases Attacking the Immune System.” The care Patrick and his family received from nurses while he was ill inspired this unique means of thanking nurses for making a profound difference in the lives of their patients and patient families. Said Bonnie Barnes, FAAN, president and co-founder of The DAISY Foundation, “When Patrick was critically ill, our family experienced first-hand the remarkable skill and care nurses provide patients every day and night. Yet these unsung heroes are seldom recognized for the super-human, extraordinary, compassionate work they do. The kind of work the nurses at East Georgia Regional Medical Center are called on to do every day epitomizes the purpose of The DAISY Award.”

“I am pleased to recognize Jennifer as a Nurse Leader DAISY Award recipient,” said Marie Burdett, MSN, R.N., chief nursing officer at East Georgia Regional Medical Center. “Jennifer is an extraordinary nurse, strong leader, and works tirelessly with a graceful, positive attitude that’s a pleasure to experience. She is very deserving of this recognition.”

East Georgia Regional Medical Center DAISY nurses consistently demonstrate excellence through their clinical knowledge and extraordinarily compassionate care. They are recognized as outstanding role models in our nursing community and make a profound difference in the lives of their patients and their family members. Patients, visitors, nurses, physicians and employees may nominate a deserving nurse by completing a nomination here.

To learn more about the DAISY Foundation, visit daisyfoundation.org.