Bayhealth nurses recognized for outstanding care of organ donors

DOVER — Caring for critically ill patients is a tough job, but Elizabeth Ford, a registered nurse at Bayhealth Kent Campus, recently took on the difficult challenge head-on.

Ford received the DAISY Award, which recognizes outstanding nurses for their care of patients during organ donation.

According to Bayhealth, the DAISY Awards recognize “the superhuman work that nurses around the world do for patients and their families.”

The program recognizes nurses who demonstrate compassion and determination through the care they provide.

Bayhealth officials said Ford did her best to care for and comfort patients and their families who were receiving critical care at the Bayhealth Kent campus.

They say she always responded promptly to any requests and thoroughly evaluated every aspect of their care.

The family of Ford's patient decided to donate their loved one's organs so that “his death would not be in vain” and to give the gift of life to others.

Once the decision was made to donate a patient's organs, Ford began the process of making sure the organs were suitable for donation.

She cared for patients 24 hours a day over two days and decided to stay four hours after the end of her shift to take patients to the operating room.

She went out of her way to serve her patients and their families, creating a comforting space during a very difficult time.

“Our family will always remember the comfort, compassion and respect Liz showed us,” the nominator said. “We will always remember that my brother's final moments were in the hands of truly extraordinary and dedicated nurses.”

DAISY Award recipients are selected by nurses, administrators, colleagues, physicians, volunteers, patients and families.

If you know a Bayhealth nurse who deserves a nomination, please visit Bayhealth.org/DAISY to fill out a nomination form.

To learn more about how individuals can give the gift of life, visit donors1.org

Staff writer Mike Finney can be reached at 302-741-8230 or mfinney@iniusa.org.
Follow @MikeFinneyDSN on X.