Howard Harris, RN, recently earned the Daisy Award for Exceptional Nurses at TidalHealth Peninsula Regional for his outstanding kindness to a patient.

His nominator said: "Recently Howie was acknowledged by a patient of his on the day she was leaving to go home with hospice care. This patient was here frequently due to her various health conditions related to cancer and was known to the floor. This particular admission was not like the others; she was much sicker and felt it. The patient talked about how terrible she felt and must have looked, and said she just wanted to go home and feel better.

“This nurse took it upon himself to make sure she got home in the best possible shape. As her nurse, he ensured that her care was coordinated so she could go home in tip-top shape. He waited to drain her chest catheter until the very last minute to make sure she went home in as little discomfort as possible, washed her up better than she had been in months, washed and brushed her hair, and helped her get dressed. He truly went above and beyond to make her feel that she was her most beautiful self for her last trip home to be with family. For the first time since she was in the hospital, she grinned ear to ear and was so incredibly happy and comfortable. Her nurse also grinned ear to ear and ran around the unit telling everyone how sharp his patient looked so that we could all go see her before she left. He was there to see her off to be with family. That smile meant so much more than happiness. It meant she had her groove back, she felt like herself again, and had some pep in her step.

"The patient passed shortly after leaving the hospital, and to no surprise her top cheerleader, Howie, was there at her funeral to see her off to heaven. This nurse has not only developed a special connection with one patient, but with every patient he comes across."
Harris was honored with the Daisy Award in a ceremony before his colleagues. He received a certificate commending her for being an extraordinary nurse, which reads: "In deep appreciation of all you do, who you are, and the incredibly meaningful difference you make in the lives of so many people." He also received a sculpture called A Healer's Touch, hand-carved by artists of the Shona Tribe in Zimbabwe.

The not-for-profit DAISY Foundation is based in Glen Ellen, CA, and was established by family members in memory of J. Patrick Barnes. Patrick died at the age of 33 in late 1999 from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), a little-known but not uncommon autoimmune disease. 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.

President and Co-Founder of The DAISY Foundation Bonnie Barnes said, "When Patrick was critically ill, our family experienced firsthand the remarkable skill and care nurses provide patients every day and night. Yet these unsung heroes are seldom recognized for the super-human work they do. The kind of work the nurses at TidalHealth are called on to do every day epitomizes the purpose of The DAISY Award."