10/07/2026
Congratulations to our August 2026 DAISY Award honoree, Amy Zarnowski, RN/ICU!
Amy's nomination read: "I am writing to share my sincere appreciation and recognition for this nurse, who provided exceptional care to my mother-in-law during an incredibly difficult and emotional time for family. My mother-in-law was admitted to this unit with a serious medical condition. By the time she arrived at the unit, she was experiencing extreme pain and had a very poor prognosis. As a family, we were trying to understand what was happening while also making very difficult decisions regarding her care. She exemplified what an outstanding nurse- a true Magnet nurse- should be. From the moment she cared for her, she demonstrated compassion, attentiveness, professionalism, and genuine concern for both her patient and her family. She provided her with individualized and personal care, continuously assessed her needs, and remained attentive to her pain and other symptoms throughout her time in the unit. What stood out to me was how strongly she advocated for both my mother-in-law and our family. She kept the providers informed, helped ensure important information was communicated and advocated for the communication our family needed in order to understand the situation and make informed decisions. She played an important role in helping facilitate communication with the providers, which ultimately allowed our family to make the decision to transition her into comfort-focus care so that her pain and symptoms could be appropriately managed. Her compassion did not stop with my mother-in-law. She provided tremendous support to my husband and I during a
heartbreaking experience. She was present, reassuring, and compassionate when we needed it most. Because of the care she provided, my mother-in-law was able to transition peacefully and with comfort. I will always be grateful that she was the nurse assigned to her during those final moments. She helped transform what could have been an even more difficult and distressing experience into a peaceful and compassionate ending for my mother-in-law and our family. I truly could not have asked for anything more. I would like to formally nominate her for a Daisy award. She truly represents the very best of nursing and is an exceptional example of what it means to be a nurse. Her clinical care, advocacy, compassion, and support made a lasting positive impact on our family. Thank you for everything you did for my mother-in-law and for our family. You made a lasting difference during a difficult moment of our lives, and I am incredibly grateful that you are a part of Riverside."
