National Park Medical Center recognizes nurse who goes above and beyond

Destiny Norwood of National Park Medical Center’s Intensive Care Unit was recently honored with The DAISY Award® For Extraordinary Nurses. The award is part of the DAISY Foundation's programs to recognize the super-human efforts nurses perform every day.

Norwood, a registered nurse, received three nominations during the six-month period for her ability to show empathy and compassion not only to the patients under her care, but also to their family members.

“The unique relationship between nurse and patient is the focus of the DAISY Award at National Park,” said Lisa Wallace, Chief Nursing Officer. “We tell the stories that are not usually heard. DAISY offers an avenue to celebrate excellence in compassion!”

The DAISY Award brings to light those nurses who make patients and their families feel seen and heard.

“Patients obviously need to be heard, but also their family members as well,” said Norwood. “Especially in the ICU where I work. A lot of time our patients are vented, intubated, sedated, etc., where they can’t voice what they need. It’s important for the patient’s wellbeing, but also for the family’s comfort.”

A testament to Norwood’s compassion as a nurse is her second nature to help families in the grieving processes. When asked how she approaches that process, she simply answered that she didn’t know. But as she explained, she illustrated how it is just a part of her day-to-day work.

“My number one thing I think about when helping someone grieve, is to remember that is their mother…if I was in that situation, what would I need,” she said. Norwood continued saying that it is important for nurses as a team to remember that each patient is a person with a family that loves them.

“Destiny went out of her way to ensure my mom was comfortable, but she also cared about our family,” one nominator wrote. “On a day when my mom didn’t look like herself, Destiny gave her a bath and braided her hair, helping her look like the person I knew again. On the same day I lost my mom, she made sure to find me before leaving the hospital to hug us and tell us how sorry she was and that she was there for us.”

The nominator said her mother, who unfortunately passed, would have liked Norwood.

“Her kindness made a big difference during such a hard time, and I am so grateful for everything she did. Losing my mom was one of the worst days of my life and having Destiny as her nurse through that process was the only thing that got my husband and me through the day.”

Another nominator wrote of Norwood’s kindness and compassion.

“My mom was in ICU for almost a month,” the other nominator wrote. “Destiny sat and held me while I cried. She explained everything in detail to where I understood what everything meant. She stayed after her 12-hour shift and made sure I was OK because my mom had passed. She was there for me when I needed it and showed me true kindness.”

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 auto-immune 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.  

About National Park Medical Center 

National Park Medical Center is a 163-bed full-service acute care hospital located in Hot Springs, Arkansas.  Our mission is simple: Making Communities Healthier.  We are a part of the LifePoint Health family of hospitals, which means we aim to create a place where people choose to come for healthcare, physicians want to practice, and employees want to work.  Our core values are honesty, integrity & trustworthiness, inclusion, compassion and legal/ethical compliance.  Our hospital’s Joint Commission accreditation powerfully demonstrates our commitment to meeting the highest national standards for quality and safety. 

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