International Council of Nurses and DAISY Foundation Cooperate to Expand Global Recognition of Nurses

The International Council of Nurses (ICN) and the DAISY Foundation have signed an agreement to expand globally the meaningful recognition of nurses who provide extraordinary and compassionate care to patients and families every day. This cooperation was announced today at the ANCC National Magnet Conference® in Denver, Colorado, by Dr. Pamela F. Cipriano, First Vice-President of ICN and Bonnie Barnes, Co-founder and President of the DAISY Foundation.

“We believe that the ANCC National Magnet Conference®, the largest nursing conference in the US that draws nearly 10,000 participants every year, including nurses from around the world, is the ideal place to announce this cooperation,” said Dr. Cipriano. “ICN, during its almost 120 years of history, has always strived to improve the well-being and professional recognition of the millions of nurses worldwide and this cooperation with the Daisy Foundation will bolster our efforts. The DAISY Award is a meaningful recognition that contributes to higher levels of nurse satisfaction and subsequent retention.”

“When we started The DAISY Award 19 years ago, right after our Patrick died, we never imagined that today, our statement of gratitude for nurses’ compassionate care would be a truly international, evidence-based, on-going, recognition program. During our international travels we have seen that nurses everywhere share a drive to care for people when they are at their most vulnerable. We are very excited that soon, thanks to our collaboration with ICN, The DAISY Award will enable even more nurses around the world to appreciate the unforgettable impact they have on patients, their families when we are in their loving hands,” said Bonnie Barnes.

“I cannot tell you how incredibly special this DAISY Award has been to me. It may sound crazy but having received this award has made me a better nurse. The sense of pride that I feel when people that I barely know come up to congratulate me and tell me that no one deserves it more, it brings tears to my eyes each time. I take such pride in being a nurse,” said Donna Young, a nurse at the Children’s Hospital of Atlanta who was honored with The DAISY Award recently.

The DAISY Foundation™ was created in 1999 by the family of J. Patrick Barnes who died at the age of 33 from complications of an auto-immune disease [hence the name, an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System]. Patrick Barnes received extraordinary care from his nurses during his 8-week hospitalization. When he died, his family felt compelled to express their profound gratitude for the compassion and skill nurses bring to patients and families every day. The DAISY Award® for Extraordinary Nurses now celebrates nurses in nearly 3,200 healthcare facilities around the world, honoring direct care nurses, nurse leaders, and nurse-led teams. As of today, this award is presented to nurses in 19 countries all over the world.

The ANCC National Magnet Conference® is the annual conference of the Magnet Recognition Program®, The Magnet Recognition Program® designates organizations worldwide where nursing leaders successfully align their nursing strategic goals to improve the organization’s patient outcomes. Worldwide, there are currently 477 Magnet-designated organisations.