Shockley Earns DAISY Award

2020 was quite a year for Clinical Coordinator Crystal Shockley, MSN, RN, who finished her master’s degree after being diagnosed with COVID-19. “I had COVID the last two weeks of my classes, and it was rough trying to write papers while experiencing fevers, chills and other symptoms.” Her resilience has inspired many throughout the pandemic.

She’s been a nurse at Bayhealth for nine years and has precepted – or served as a nurse mentor – for seven of those years. Knowing that she can educate others drives her to work harder. “It makes a difference to be able to help the nurses, and to teach the patients and families about their illness process and just to educate them on how to take care of themselves,” she said.

Shockley strives to better herself in all facets and has always aspired to receive the prestigious DAISY Award. It’s given by the DAISY Foundation, which was formed in 2000 by the family of J. Patrick Barnes. The Barnes family wanted to recognize the nurses who cared for Patrick and all the other “unsung heroes” of the nursing profession.

When asked what drives her, Shockley said it’s the response she gets from patients and their families. “Knowing they appreciate the care we’re giving them is important because it’s the reason I became a nurse,” she expressed.

It was the compassion she demonstrated in her care of a patient with pneumonia during their last moments of life that earned Shockley a DAISY Award.

In the nomination form for Shockley, Registered Nurse Shea Aviles wrote, “Crystal gave amazing care and kept the patient comfortable at all times. She kept the family updated, and when all was said and done, managed to stop the ambulance from leaving with the patient so that everyone had just a few moments to say goodbye. This was just above and beyond the call of duty and so unexpected and loving. It is hard with the pandemic not having that contact with a family member and even harder when that precious person is at the end of their life. She gave that one major thing anyone could ask for, and that is closure.”

DAISY Award honorees are chosen by nurses, administrators, peers, physicians, volunteers, patients, and family. If you know a Bayhealth nurse who deserves to be nominated, visit Bayhealth.org/Daisy and fill out the nomination form.