South Georgia Medical Center presented Daryn Snipes with the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses for March. The award is part of the international DAISY Foundation, a program developed to recognize the super-human efforts nurses perform everyday.
 
Snipes was nominated by a patient’s daughter, Stephanie Celestie. Celestie traveled all the way from Atlanta to present the award and read Snipes' nomination in person.
 
Celeste said, “Daryn truly represents what this award stands for. His compassion and clinical excellence was superior. He was the first nurse we met when our late father was admitted.” According to Celestie, Snipes never ignored their needs and treated them as if their father was his only patient.
 
“He did so much for us, not just in the physical aspect in regards to our father's care, but even for us emotionally. I don't have enough words to express the kindness and patience he exhibited. He doesn't have a job or career, he is just where God has called him to be,” said Celestie

Snipes has been with SGMC for 5 years and currently works in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit.
 
Throughout the health system, SGMC continues to ask patients and fellow employees to honor nurses they feel go above and beyond in their care. Nominations are reviewed by a committee based on criteria that include compassion, teamwork, leadership, attitude, and skills and knowledge.
 
DAISY awards are presented monthly in front of the nurse’s colleagues, physicians, patients, and visitors. Each honoree receives a certificate commending him or her for being an “Extraordinary Nurse” and a sculpture called A Healer’s Touch, hand-carved by artists of the Shona Tribe in Africa.