Salisbury, MD – Brooke Adkins, RN, Oncology Care Coordinator, has been selected as TidalHealth Peninsula Regional’s October 2023 DAISY Award recipient for the care and dedication she shows her patients. Her nomination was written by the wife of Dr. David McDermott, Radiation Oncologist:
Every day my husband comes home from work, I hear about how wonderful Brooke is, not only as a nurse, but as a person. On countless occasions, she has gone above and beyond any basic nursing task to care for her patients who come through the door. I have heard many stories where food was delivered to the department for patients in need of a hot meal, and it was ordered by none other than Brooke.
Skin irritation from radiation treatments can be a very painful side effect. Brooke had been ordering a special cream that helps with this side effect through Amazon and took the initiative to work with TidalHealth’s pharmacy to get the cream in stock for easier access for patients.
Brooke cares for every patient as a whole and truly cares about each and every one. She grew up on the Eastern Shore and has a connection with the community that embodies the values of TidalHealth. My husband and I are always in awe of the amount the compassion that Brooke exudes in her everyday practice. aThere is not just one instance you could speak about because there are far too many to count, and she does all of this not for any recognition, but because she cares for her patients in a way that exemplifies the Daisy Award.
Brooke was recently honored with the Daisy Award in a ceremony before her colleagues. She received certificates commending her for being an extraordinary nurse, and 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, Calif., 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.
