WHEN first-time mother Mauricia Edghill experienced an emotionally difficult period during her hospital stay, Nurse Tashime Reid became a steady source of reassurance.

Edghill said the nurse remained patient, offered guidance, and helped her regain emotional balance. She rated the nursing staff at Andrews Memorial Hospital Limited (AMH) as excellent and said the experience left her willing to recommend the hospital to others.

A release from the institution said her story reflects the compassionate, skilled, and personal care AMH seeks to recognise through The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses, officially launched at the hospital on July 9, 2026.

The launch marked a historic milestone, with AMH becoming The DAISY Foundation’s first partner hospital in Jamaica. Patients, relatives, colleagues, physicians, and others who witness exceptional nursing care at the institution may nominate a registered nurse, midwife, or enrolled assistant nurse for the award by scanning the QR code displayed throughout the hospital or available on its social media platforms.

The DAISY Award is a United States-based international recognition programme established in 1999 by the family of J Patrick Barnes, who died at age 33 from complications associated with immune thrombocytopenia. Deeply moved by the clinical expertise, kindness, and compassion shown by the nurses who cared for Barnes during his hospitalisation, the family created the programme to honour extraordinary nurses worldwide. DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System.

President and chief executive officer of Andrews Memorial Hospital Limited, Donmayne Gyles, described the launch as an important investment in the hospital’s culture of recognition.

From left, nurses Ginelle Brown, Sheryl-Lee Smith and Melissa Harris-Morant accept the second-place prize from Dr Lisa Henry, director of nursing at Andrews Memorial Hospital Ltd. Unit 300’s display, “The Nursing School”, earned second place in the Nursing Décor Competition held during the hospital’s Nursing Week celebrations.

“Our nurses are central to the healing experience at Andrews Memorial Hospital. Through the DAISY Award, we are creating another meaningful avenue to recognise those who consistently combine clinical competence with compassion, empathy, and exceptional service. We are proud to introduce this programme in Jamaica and to celebrate the nurses who embody our mission of healing the whole person,” Gyles said.

Special guest speaker Anthonette Patterson-Bartley, nurse coordinator and senior lecturer at the Ministry of Health and Wellness, said nurses combine clinical expertise with compassionate, patient-centred care that brings comfort, hope, and healing.

She said the DAISY Award provides a meaningful opportunity to formally honour nurses whose compassion and clinical skill leave a lasting impression on patients, relatives, and colleagues.

“Small acts of kindness, empathy, and genuine human connection are often what patients remember most long after their hospital stay has ended,” Patterson-Bartley said.

Ginelle Brown accepting her degree in Unit 300’s display of “The Nursing School”, during the Andrews Memorial Hospital’s Nurses Week Décor competition.

Also attending the launch was Dr Heather Fletcher, assistant registrar of the Nursing Council of Jamaica, who joined hospital administrators, staff members, and nurses in supporting the initiative.

Director of Nursing Dr Lisa Henry said the DAISY Award was intended to become more than a single event or annual presentation. She described it as the beginning of a lasting culture in which nurses feel seen, valued, and empowered.

“When we honour a nurse for the way she held someone’s hand, or the way he stayed a little longer to make sure a family understood what was happening, we’re telling our community something,” Henry said. “Not perfection, but presence. Not just skill, but heart.”

The initiative flowed into AMH’s Nurses’ Week celebration, held from July 20 to 24 under the international theme, ‘Our Nurses, Our Future: Empowered Nurses Save Lives’, which transformed the 82-year-old health-care institution into a lively hub of appreciation, wellness, and fellowship.

Activities included Blessing of the Hands ceremonies, nurses’ breakfasts, Joy Ride snack distributions, a Know Your Numbers Fair, which included health checks and screenings, massage services, Financial Wellness Day with National Commercial Bank, Dance It Out-wellness moves, a 360-degree camera experience, tokens, and giveaways sponsored by CeraVe.

To cap the celebration, a décor competition among the five units of the hospital was held, and Unit 200, Superhero Nurses, secured first place; Unit 300 Nursing School came second; and Unit 500, Vintage Nursing, came third.

Team leader for Unit 200, Nurse LaCelia Jackson, who has served at AMH for three years, attributed their winning to teamwork, careful planning, and the hospital’s core values.

The Andrews Memorial Hospital Limited Unit 200, dubbed The Superheroes, won the hospital’s Nursing Décor Competition during its Nursing Week celebrations.

“We were confident because we put our all into the competition,” Jackson said. “On Unit 200, we live the hospital’s core values. Everyone came together, developed a plan, and worked as a team to execute it — and the plan worked. This same teamwork reflects how meaningful patient care is to us and our commitment to providing compassionate care to every patient.”

AMH nurses also echoed that sense of purpose.

Nurse Bobbette Byfield McKella, who worked at AMH for 20 years, said nursing allows her to serve, particularly elderly patients, who enter the emergency room feeling anxious or vulnerable.

“I offer comforting words and compassion to help them feel at ease,” she said, adding that there is satisfaction in supporting patients’ health and well-being.

Huloy Green, who has been at AMH for six months, described nursing as both a responsibility and a blessing.

“You have lives in your hands,” Green said. “The satisfaction comes from seeing the people you care for get better and become whole.”