The DAISY Foundation

The DAISY Foundation was founded in 1999 by the family of Patrick Barnes who died at age 33 of the auto-immune disease ITP following an eight-week hospitalisation. DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System. The Barnes family experienced excellent nursing care for Patrick. They expected the level of clinical skill, but they did not expect the way the care was delivered – with compassion and sensitivity, not only to Patrick but also to his family.  

The DAISY Award was established to say thank you to nurses for what they do every day – things nurses take for granted, but that make a significant difference to patients and families. It gives patients, families and co-workers a way to share their gratitude to nurses by nominating stories of extraordinary compassionate care. 

ICN proudly partners with the DAISY Foundation, which has recognised the global contributions of over two million nurses and more than 5,400 healthcare facilities and nursing schools’ partners, who honour extraordinary compassionate care. Over 189,000 nurses have been honoured and their stories are shared within organisations and on their website.  

Such recognition is evidence-based and gives a strong reminder to nurses of why they became nurses. Literature demonstrates that recognition of nursing work has a positive impact on a healthy work environment, nurse engagement, and patient/family experience.