AR Gould nurse Roberta MacDonald recognized with DAISY Award

Date: 11/04/2022

Presque Isle, Maine (November 4, 2022) — Roberta MacDonald, RN, a Critical Care nurse at Northern Light AR Gould Hospital, was recently recognized for her outstanding patient care by being presented with a DAISY Award.

MacDonald was nominated by a patient who had spent a month in the ICU after going through multiple abdominal surgeries.

“While I was cared for by the wonderful staff and nurses, Berta really stood out.  She gave me encouragement, a shoulder to cry, and offered much needed support," said the patient in an excerpt from his nomination.

He noted that MacDonald always cared for him with a sense of enjoyment and never as just a job. She was the nurse he looked forward to seeing every night. “When 7pm came around, Berta would come into my room.  She would ask how I was feeling and how my day went.”

During a surprise celebration, MacDonald was presented a daisy pin, a sculpture called A Healer’s Touch hand-carved by artists of the Shona Tribe in Africa, and a certificate commending her for being an “Extraordinary Nurse.” 

The DAISY (Diseases Attacking the Immune System) Award is an international recognition program that honors and celebrates the skillful, compassionate care nurses provide every day. It was established by family members in memory of J. Patrick Barnes, who died in 1999 from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), an auto-immune disease.  The care he and his family received from nurses inspired this means of thanking nurses for making a profound difference in the lives of their patients and patient families.

Each quarter, AR Gould Hospital recognizes one of its nurses with the DAISY Award. These nurses are nominated by patients, family members of patients, co-workers, or community members for the outstanding care and compassion they provide.

For those who would like to nominate a nurse for consideration for a DAISY Award, nominations can be made online, please visit www.northernlighthealth.org/Our-System/AR-Gould-Hospital/About-Us/Daisy-Award.