“Her willingness to ensure this patient’s needs were met speaks volumes to her loving personality and dedication to the nursing practice.”

Those words were written on behalf of Stephanie Segrest, a registered nurse with Inpatient Wound Care at Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center, who made sure a paraplegic inmate got the compassionate care he needed.

 Her spirit and professionalism did not go unnoticed. As a result, she was honored with the DAISY Award on Tuesday, Nov. 19, during an impromptu ceremony at the hospital.

“It shows what nursing really is about, and sometimes we forget our “why,”’ said Sheila Bennett, senior vice president and chief of patient services at Atrium Health Floyd, who presented Segrest with the award. “When I read this one, I thought it was really special,” Bennett continued. “This is what nursing is to me. You meet people where they are. There’s no judgment. God has given us the opportunity as nurses to touch people’s lives and intervene at a time when they need us the most.”

Segrest ensured the patient’s needs were met, big or small. She had the guards change his shackles from metal to plastic to further prevent skin abrasions. She called dietary services to help ensure his nutritional needs.

“He had shackles around his ankles. He had shackles around his waist, and they were just digging into him,” Segrest said. “I would go in and talk to him and talk about his life, his family. He was a precious man.”

The family of Patrick Barnes established the DAISY Foundation after Barnes died from an auto-immune disease while being treated in a Seattle hospital.
Bennett presented Segrest 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.

“Being a DAISY Award winner is probably the most rewarding thing that has ever happened to me in my 24 years of nursing,” Segrest said.

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.