In early May, nurses around the country were honored as recipients of the annual DAISY Award, and Ruth Archer from Dallas County Hospital in Perry was one such recipient.

Archer, a registered nurse who has worked at Dallas County Hospital for the last 20 years, was nominated by the parents of a pediatric patient to receive the award. They said they appreciated how she kept them informed during their emergency room visit, and she made them feel more at ease with her explanations of what was going on with their child.

The annual DAISY awards honor nurses who have made a difference in the lives of their patients and their families. They were established by a nonprofit foundation in California in memory of J. Patrick Barnes who died in late 1999 of complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), an autoimmune disease. His family was so impressed with the care Patrick received from his nurses it inspired them to start the foundation and the DAISY awards. DAISY stands for “Diseases Attacking the Immune System.”

Physicians, employees, patients, and families were able to nominate nurses for the award. Archer will be honored once again in June during a Mercy Health Network Luncheon.