CLEARLAKE, Calif. – St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake has awarded Melisa Long, RN, with the DAISY Award For Extraordinary Nurses.

Long has been a nurse since 1995, always working in the hospital setting. She has worked in outpatient surgery at St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake since 2009.
 
Long was nominated for the DAISY Award by her many grateful coworkers at St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake.

She is known for her kindness, bright smile and special gift of making each patient feel special and in good hands.

Coworkers comment that Long fills the halls of the hospital with her enthusiastic enjoyment of her calling as a nurse and can often be found kneeling by a wheelchair or sitting by a bedside praying with a patient.
 
“Balancing a patient’s medical needs with their spiritual and emotional care can be a challenge, but Melisa embraces this big goal each day with joy, compassion and a desire to make each patient feel like part of her family,” said Al Hansen, RN, director of the surgery, women’s care and medical/surgical departments.
 
“The DAISY Award is an incredible honor, but I didn’t receive it on my own” said Long. “We have an amazing team here at Adventist Health, and I am blessed to have the opportunity to touch someone’s life every day I go to work.”

Long has worked as a nurse more than two decades, including time in med/surg, ICU, surgery and emergency departments.
 
Long was honored with the DAISY Award on Friday, May 12, as part of Nurses Week and Hospital Week festivities. Staff were treated with Cinnabon cinnamon rolls, a DAISY Award tradition.

Fellow nurse Carolyn Dabney, who serves on the medical/surgical unit, was awarded as the DAISY Award runner-up.

“Carolyn is always kind, always compassionate, and always looking for another way to help her patients feel their best and her fellow nurses do their best,” said Hansen.
 
The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses is organized by the DAISY Foundation.

An acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System, The DAISY Foundation was formed in November 1999 by the family of J. Patrick Barnes who died at age 33 of complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura. The nursing care Barnes received when hospitalized profoundly touched his family, who started the award to say “thank you” to nurses everywhere through a recognition program.
 
St. Helena Hospital Clear Lake’s Hospital and Nurses Week celebration also included a strawberry shortcake feed, massages for staff at various outpatient locations throughout the county and a barbecue catered by the hospital’s dietary services department.

“I appreciate all of our nurses for delivering excellent patient care with kindness and compassion,” said Colleen Assavapisitkul, vice president of patient care and chief nursing officer. “Special recognition such as the DAISY Award allow us to share our gratitude our nurses’ dedication and skills.”

For more information visit www.sthelenahospitalclearlake.org .