San Joaquin Valley College Announces New Award Program for Nursing Students and Faculty

Visalia, Calif. (May 11, 2021) – San Joaquin Valley College (SJVC) is pleased to announce The DAISY Award® program at every campus with an applicable nursing program in honor of National Nurses Month. While collaborating with The DAISY Foundation™, SJVC will continue its tradition of celebrating extraordinary contributions to the field of nursing.

The DAISY Awards, including The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Faculty and The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Students, have been adopted by healthcare facilities and educational institutions around the world to celebrate nurses for their extraordinary care and compassion.

Both nursing faculty and students at SJVC may be nominated by their colleagues, employers, patients, family, or alumni through an open nomination process. Award recipients will be chosen by a campus committee at least once a year with each Honoree receiving a certificate, a DAISY Award pin, and a beautiful sculpture called A Healer’s Touch.

“At SJVC we have always believed in recognizing the outstanding contributions of our healthcare professionals including nursing students and educators,” said President of SJVC, Nick Gomez. “In recognizing all their hard work and accomplishments, we can continue encouraging their success while also addressing the need for more of these healthcare heroes,” added Gomez. “As part of this ongoing effort, we are proud to launch The DAISY Award program at our campuses in Visalia, Ontario, Bakersfield, Santa Maria and Rancho Mirage.”

The non-profit DAISY Foundation is based in Glen Ellen, Calif., and was established by family members in memory of J. Patrick Barnes. Patrick died at the age of 33 in late 1999 from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), a little known but not uncommon auto-immune disease. The care Patrick and his family received from nurses while he was ill inspired this unique means of thanking nurses for making a profound difference in the lives of their patients and patient families.

The DAISY Foundation expanded its’ flagship award program to academic institutions in order to recognize the faculty who inspire compassionate care in their students as well as the students who demonstrate it during their education. “We honor faculty who inspire nurses to care for others like Patrick’s nurses cared for him and our family. Celebrating nursing students for the above-and-beyond care and compassion they show to patients and their families will be a strong reminder that nursing is not all about tasks and technology,” said Bonnie Barnes, CEO and Co-Founder of The DAISY Foundation.

For more information on The DAISY Foundation, please visit: www.DaisyFoundation.org.