Daniela Huggins was at a sad place at the right time, and her calming influence made an impression on her teammates as she comforted a woman who had no family present as she passed.
As the patient neared the end of her life, Huggins, a registered nurse at Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center, acted as an angel of mercy.
“With the obvious progression that the patient’s end of life was occurring, tears dripped off her (Huggins’) face. She remained at the patient’s bedside, stroking her hair and holding her hand. In a precious, soft, sweet voice she told the patient ‘just go to sleep; it’s okay,'” wrote a teammate who nominated Huggins for a DAISY Award.
Huggins received the award Thursday during a ceremony on the fourth floor of the hospital.
“On this night, she gave her patient something no one else could,” the nomination read. “She was able to calm the fear of death with her gentle hands and soft voice, letting the patient know she was not alone. The peace this nurse provided in the last moments of her patient’s life was a genuine act from a real Angel of Mercy.”
Huggins has been a teammate with Floyd for almost 12 years.
“I was really surprised that I won,” she said. “I did not expect it.”
The family of Patrick Barnes established the DAISY Foundation after Barnes died from an autoimmune disease while being treated in a Seattle hospital.
Sheila Bennett, senior vice president and chief of patient services at Atrium Health Floyd, presented Huggins with a DAISY pin, and a sculpture entitled “A Healer’s Touch.” Members of the Shona ethnic group in Zimbabwe hand-carve the sculptures.
The nurse and her teammates were also treated with cinnamon buns, a DAISY tradition because it was one of the few things Barnes could eat while he was hospitalized.
If you know an Atrium Health Floyd nurse who provided exceptional care of you or a loved one, you can nominate them for a DAISY award by completing this online form.
