30 December, 2025
Meet some of our incredible DAISY Award honorees featured here. Each story reflects compassion, dedication, and excellence in nursing. Explore these pages to discover many more inspiring journeys that make a difference every day.
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Rita Shortt |
On the 31st August 2023, my brother Nicholas had a cardiac arrest while driving home from work, two people ran out to perform CPR and kept him breathing till Ambulance arrived. The two people, Tom and Claire, were amazing, as was the crew on the ambulance. Nick was rushed to St James’s Hospital,. Two people ran out to perform CPR and kept him breathing till the. Two people ran out to perform CPR and kept him breathing till the where they fought so hard to save his life. He was sent to ICU where he was to spend the next 11 days. We had no idea how traumatic this journey would be. But with the wonderful care in the ICU from every nurse and doctor was truly unbelievable. But there was one outstanding nurse, her name was Rita. Rita went above the call of duty with her care and patience for us as a family, especially his distraught wife Caitrin. Rita answered endless questions, some of them the same ones over and over again. Caitrin took great comfort in this, nothing was too much for Rita. When we jumped with every beep, she was there to put us at ease. Nurse Rita was truly amazing and we would love to highly recommend Nurse Rita ICU for the DAISY award as Extraordinary Nurse. Thank you all in St James’s Hospital for your brilliant care, especially Rita. She was our Angel. Nick is doing fantastic, he had open heart surgery, he was in hospital for 12 weeks from day of cardiac arrest. He has returned to his job full time and is back driving. Thank you.” |
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“I was dreading going into the hospital as I do have to get a PICC line in, and plus, I am on methadone. So, I was dreading having to go to the hospital from previous experiences. So anyway, the time came to go in, so I went with horror thoughts of other experiences, but had to go with an open mind. So, I was checked into John Houston ward, second floor, St James’s Hospital and was introduced to Nurse Ali and the introduction went ok, so off to a good start. Then it came to get my medication and I thought to myself, “here we go again” as this is where it usually goes south. But no, Ali didn’t judge me and came in with my methadone in a non-see-through cup and just put it on my table behind me and just caught my attention to let me know my meds were on the table which I thought was very professional as I’ve had other nurses come in with it in a see-through cup and say it out loud “there’s your methadone” and straight away people look at you and judge you totally different. But this time totally different. All thanks to the professionalism of the nurse. So, my stay this time was a pleasure. The other patients talked to me as if I was one of them. But I am. I am a human like them, do they think I was hoping and wishing for addiction to come along, no one is”. |
Julie Kirkham |
I am writing to nominate nurse Julie Kirkham from the Laser Department for her outstanding care and support during my treatments. From the moment I walked into the unit, Nurse Julie made me feel comfortable and cared for, demonstrating not only incredible skill but also a deep sense of understanding and compassion. Undergoing laser treatment can be daunting, but Nurse Julie approached every step with patience and kindness. She took the time to explain the procedure in detail, answering all my questions and addressing my concerns with empathy. It was clear that she understood how anxious I was, and their gentle reassurance helped me feel at ease throughout the process. What stood out most was Nurse Julie's passion for her work. She treated me not just as a patient but as a person, always ensuring that I felt safe and supported. Her attentiveness and genuine care made a world of difference in my experience, transforming what could have been a stressful situation into something manageable and even positive. I am incredibly grateful to have had Julie by my side during this time. Her kindness, professionalism, and unwavering dedication to patient care are truly inspiring. I believe she deserves to be recognized for the exceptional nurse she is and the lasting impact she makes on her patients.” |
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“Rebecca is the most reliable, supportive and caring nurse that I have ever met. Everyday she has a kind and encouraging word for me. She goes out of her way for her patients. Rebecca went out of her way many times for me to ensure I’m feeling well and have all I need, even when she’s not my nurse that day. Going as far as to go to the shop to buy one a calippo ice pop as she knows how much they sooth my throat and lifts my spirits which I really needed that day. Rebecca is just an exceptional nurse in every way. She has been at my side on many a bad day when my pain and illness was all encompassing. I felt lucky and honoured to have her as my nurse as she always makes me feel safe, seen and heard. This has helped me through my longest days. Rebecca deserves so much praise and respect for all she does. It would mean so much to see her acknowledged for being an outstanding nurse. I sincerely don’t believe I would have healed as well without her. I am forever thankfully for her constant kindness and all the ice and ice pops, she got me to lift my spirits, keep me fighting and eventually made me better. Thank you so so much Rebecca. Love you always.” |
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“Ailbhe was one of the nurses on duty at the start of my father’s ICU journey. We were called to the hospital in the middle of the night as he had gone into septic shock, was very unstable and they were worried he may not make it through the night. She was on duty the following morning and he started to partially stabilise again. I cannot put into words how much of a difference it makes to the families of people in these situations to have a nurse who speaks kindly and will communicate and explain to you what is happening and why. She’s clearly very knowledgeable and good at her job. Both herself and Arlene (another ICU nurse from Wexford) are amazing at their jobs. They deserve recognition because being a nurse is layered - the knowledge part but also the bedside manner can never be under rated.” |
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After having a cardiac arrest during an angiogram I was admitted to ccu, while each nurse and health care assistant were fantastic, Suzanne Keane shone through like a bright star, she showed me such empathy and kindness, as I live 2hrs from Dublin and didn't have family nearby she checked on me constantly, she put my fears to rest by reassuring me that over time I would make a good recovery which after my episode meant so much to hear this, nothing was too much trouble, from going through my bags to find my bits and pieces I needed to checking up that my pain was under control, the icing on the cake was settling me down for the night, asking me my preference regarding lights on or off, did I want door open or closed and letting me know she would be checking on me throughout the night, giving me the alarm bell and telling me use it at any time, I know those are small thing's but for me in the big smoke after a traumatic day it meant so much to me, it was like a safety blanket, needless to say I had a good sleep that night, god bless all the staff in CCU they are outstanding, but for me Susanne was like my guardian angel that first night when I was frightened and so anxious and lonely, god bless her. |
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My mam has been hospitalised for almost one month now and has been critical in ICU the past two weeks. She presented with a flair up from her Crohn’s disease but then contracted an infection in both lungs and also fluA. She had a lot of inflammation around her liver so was put into an induced coma to give her the best possible chance. She remained in the coma for two weeks an is amazingly doing great. I first met Bridget when my mam was flu free and in the ICU ward, she introduced herself immediately with the softest, most friendliest tone. She explained everything my mam had gone through and how she was doing. She made us feel so at ease and even cared how we were doing. We got the pleasure of her looking after my mam again a couple of days later. My mam suffers with her mental health too and Bridget was perfect person to ease her mind. She is a very special person and has this twinkle about her that myself and my family will never forget. My mam even said so herself (and she is a hard nut to crack) if you get to chance to meet Bridget in your lifetime, consider yourself lucky x |
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Our father recently died in St James's Hospital - 21 October. He was admitted on 15 October and spent six days in the hospital. The care he received was outstanding. And the sensitivity to the family and what we were going through was amazing. Family members were there 24 hours a day, so we met numerous nurses, assistants and catering staff. Everyone was so kind and very conscious of our needs. For example, our 88 year old mother spent most of the days there and everyone ensured she was comfortable and had something to eat. Although this was an exceptional team, there was one person who even went another additional mile and that was Jen. She was on duty every night including the night our father died. She explained everything to us in clear but honest terms – which we really appreciated. Gave our father the most wonderful care - checked in constantly during the night. And seemed to have wonderful instincts. On a few occasions I was thinking of calling her as I was worried about our father and she appeared. As we were there overnight Jen made sure we were comfortable. Ensuring the chairs were adequate and offering blankets etc. Sometimes it's the small things that matter. And this made a big difference. And when our father went - I was there at the time - Jen was exceptionally supportive. She'd gone through it all with us and knew what we wanted and how to support us. As an indication of how much her support meant to us, we all commented independently that we were so pleased it was Jen who was there at the end. In the six days and nights my father was there she seemed to get to know us so well, learned all our names – there were a lot of us – and built a relationship with our father, even though he was not conscious towards the end. Finally, I don’t think I’ve ever come across medical care as sensitive and supportive as the Comfort Care provided by St James’s. Or met a nurse who was more competent, knowledgeable, hardworking or patient focussed than Jen. St James’s and its patients are so lucky to have her. |
