Compassion in Action: Honoring Nurses at the DAISY Award Celebration
Team members, residents and leaders came together at Taylor Glen today to celebrate the extraordinary impact of nurses, including seven who were nominated for a prestigious nursing award.
Taylor Glen nurse Duchess Quetuilo was announced as the winner of the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses. This is the first year ThriveMore has conferred the internationally recognized award. Nominations were announced earlier this month but the final winner was announced in person today during Nurse’s Week. The other incredible nurses nominated from Taylor Glen and Brookridge were Tamara Dawkins, Ann Fleuellyn, Dominique Rich, Deana Stacey, Melissa Tworkowski and Shakera Williams.
The celebration today included families of the nominees, ThriveMore leadership and former nurses who are now residents at ThriveMore. Shannon Sears, Executive Vice President of Quality, Safety, Risk and Compliance, shared about the impact of nurses and thanked those in attendance for all that they do. She called up each nominee to be recognized and receive a certificate and a homemade cinnamon roll.
When Shannon announced her as the winner, Duchess accepted the award with gratitude. She spoke about the everyday moments that define nursing, and how special it was to be celebrated for those things that she takes as commonplace.
“It really is the small things that we do as nurses,” she said. “I think I can speak for all of us when I say we don’t do it for the recognition.”
Nursing is often expressed in quiet acts like the steady presence at a bedside, the reassuring explanation that brings peace to a worried family and the teamwork that allows every caregiver to do their best work. Duchess credited the team around her, acknowledging that compassionate care is always a shared effort.
“It makes me feel good that I can make somebody think about the little things that I do,” she said. “I don’t think it’s that significant, but…thank you.”
And yet, those “little things” are exactly what families remember most. Nurses were nominated for the award by family members of residents or other team members.
A Profession That Brings Peace
Throughout the event, we were reminded that nurses bring comfort and care. The original nursing oath from Florence Nightingale was read.
ThriveMore President and CEO Reed VanderSlik reflected on a personal experience as a family caregiver, recalling the peace that nurses brought during an uncertain and emotional time for him. From helping loved ones understand what to expect, to offering calm guidance in moments of fear, nurses create space for families to process and feel supported. Even years later, those moments remain vivid – and that’s the power of nursing.
At ThriveMore, nursing is also foundational to the organization’s mission, Reed said. While residents in independent living may not need daily clinical care, the presence of skilled, compassionate nurses provides invaluable confidence. The knowledge that care is there when and if it’s needed brings reassurance to residents and families alike.
Honoring a Legacy of Care
In addition to celebrating current nurses, the event also paid tribute to retired nurses within the ThriveMore community. Before the event started there was a slideshow of photos of all the ThriveMore nurses, including those who are residents. Then all their names were read aloud, and those in attendance were invited to stand and receive a white rose — a meaningful gesture of appreciation for lives spent caring for others.
It was a powerful reminder that once someone becomes a nurse, that calling never truly ends. The skills and the heart for service remain, continuing to shape the community in lasting ways.
Taylor Glen resident Jill Green attended as a nurse, receiving a daisy pin and being recognized by name and given a rose. As she watched the slidehow before the event, she reminisced about her days as a nurse, and was surprised to find out there were more nurses here than she’d known.
“To do this for the nurses is wonderful, especially those of us who are retired,” she said.
The Meaning Behind the DAISY Award
The DAISY Award was established in 1999 by the family of Patrick Barnes after his passing from an autoimmune disease. It was created as a way to thank the nurses who made a difference during his care. What began as a family’s expression of gratitude has grown into a nationally recognized honor.
Each DAISY Award includes a hand-carved sculpture, created from serpentine stone by artisans in Zimbabwe. These sculptures not only symbolize the bond between caregiver and patient, but also support communities across the globe.
Celebrating Excellence in Nursing
Duchess and each of the nominees represent the high standard of excellence lived out daily by the nursing team.
As Administrator Ryan Jernigan shared, it’s not often you find yourself surrounded by this level of dedication and skill. And yet, at Taylor Glen and across ThriveMore communities, that excellence is something residents and families experience every day.