Congrats to our First-Ever Pair of DAISY Award Program Winners!

Culture, Job Seeker, Travel Nursing, Traveler Stories

By Sarah Wengert

We have exciting news to share. Medical Solutions started a partnership with The DAISY Foundation in Fall 2021, and we’re happy to announce our first two DAISY Award winners from this program: Congrats, Roshelle B. and Jessica F.! 

We collect DAISY nominations year-round then pull them for review each quarter. An internal panel of Medical Solutions in-house clinical RNs, company leaders, and recruiters then chooses two DAISY Award winners each quarter — one in acute care and in one post-acute care. Through our partnership with The DAISY Foundation we’ll award a total of eight winners each year.

So, let’s get to know our two inaugural winners!

Roshelle B., Travel Med Surg/Tele RN — Acute Care DAISY Award Winner

Roshelle on a friend’s family farm near North Platte, Nebraska.

Anyone who cares about patient care would love to chat with Roshelle! Her regard for her her co-workers and patients alike is immediately clear. She’s exactly the type of smart, compassionate nurse that routinely goes above and beyond, making her so deserving of the DAISY Award.

Roshelle is originally from Kentucky and took her first travel nursing assignment in 2011 in Fort Worth, Texas. Her favorite location so far has been Iowa City, Iowa, and she currently works with recruiter Brad B. — whom she adores and suggests to other travelers — and is on assignment in Harlan, Kentucky. Roshelle started nursing in 2007 and has worked ortho, PACU, critical care, and med surg/tele. Her Aunt Charlene was also a travel nurse and encouraged Roshelle to try it too. They even traveled together for several years.     

Roshelle B
Roshelle and her Aunt Charlene soaking up the sun in New Mexico.

“She was bubbly and knowledgeable, and she made her patients feel so comfortable,” says Roshelle of Charlene, who has since passed away.

Aunt Charlene was right! Travel has been a perfect fit for Roshelle. 

“You always learn something new at each place. And I love getting to know people and where they’re from,” says Roshelle. “I’m very people-oriented and I believe in the golden rule. I’ve been blessed to meet people as far west as Tucson, Arizona, and all up and down the east coast. I still keep in touch with the majority of people I’ve met.”

Turns out a lot of folks love Roshelle right back — she was nominated for the DAISY Award a whopping six times in three months! Here are a few quick quotes from her recent nominations:

“Roshelle has the willingness to go above and beyond for her patients, for her hospital, and for her peers. In the last six months, she’s accumulated no less than 12 separate notes from the hospital CEO, multiple patient letters of recognition, and equally as many peer appreciation notes. Roshelle has been a valued member of the Medical Solutions family, but proves over and over, time and time again to be a valued member of the hospitals she has worked at. It’s hard for me to think anyone is more deserving of a DAISY Award than her.”  

“Always goes above and beyond. Willing to help anyone and everyone she can. Her positive attitude brightens our whole facility!” 

“She is an amazing co-worker who goes above and beyond to help out anytime and just be an overall light to everyone she’s around.” 

“As an ER nurse at her current facility, she’s blown me away and is easily the best acute care nurse I’ve ever had the pleasure of doing a patient handoff with. She’s always prompt to want report, always at the room upon arrival with the patient ready and eager to get them situated and begin her assessment. She’s truly the most caring individual I’ve met throughout my nursing career. Cut from a different cloth than the rest of us. Despite her workload on her unit, she will call to offer aid to us while the ER is ‘burning down,’ and if we can’t use her at the moment, she’ll say ‘Check the tube station.’ There we’ll find an encouraging and uplifting note with snacks to keep us going. Truly an unheard of and sometimes unbelievable relationship between an incredible med surg traveler and the ER staff. Our facility and our patients are very lucky to have her as a member of our team.”

“She is the most thoughtful person I have ever known, always doing random acts of kindness. She has a way of making every person she comes into contact with feel special and like she truly cares about them. She gives excellent nursing care to her patients, goes above and beyond for them daily. If I could clone her I’d have 10 of her to work every shift and care for all the patients. She is the model co-worker, friend, and nurse.”

“I have never worked with a more capable and compassionate nurse in my entire career. She shows up to work every shift and goes above and beyond for her patients and fellow staff members. I have worked with her for almost a complete year and am going to be so sad when her contract ends in a few weeks and she leaves my facility. [Roshelle] truly cares for her patients and often stays over her shift to sit and listen to patients who may or may not have family that are able to visit. I have seen her buy things (razors, flowers, etc.) for patients out of her own pocket on several occasions. Her patients are always well taken care of and receive nothing but the best care possible.”

Ever humble, Roshelle was surprised and elated when her hospital colleagues, recruiter, and clinical and executive leaders from Medical Solutions told her she had won.

“I was shocked! They told me I won the DAISY Award and I thought I was going to fall out of my chair,” Roshelle says. “I was thinking, ‘Don’t cry, don’t cry. You’ve got 12 hours to work. You don’t want to mess up your makeup.’ When they read the nominations that’s when I started to cry.”

But, of course, being the dedicated nurse she is, she was also thinking about getting back to her patients and asked a colleague to go check meds and such during her big moment! Roshelle says it was an honor to be nominated for a DAISY Award because it “means someone is seeing my commitment and passion for patient care.”

Patient care is a way of life for Roshelle, but she also works to take care of her colleagues and really get to know each of them. She even tries to provide a support system for students and new grads who’ve joined the field during the stresses of the pandemic.

“I love taking care of people and it’s so important that we retain nurses,” Roshelle says. “I want all my co-workers to know that I’m there to help them. I want them to feel comfortable coming up to me. I try to be the nurse I’d want to work with.”

In addition to brightening everyone’s day 24/7, Roshelle’s an avid animal lover who loves to travel with friends and her husband Brian.

Jessica F., Travel SNF/LTC RN — Post-Acute DAISY Award Winner

Jessica’s service dog Aries

Winning in the post-acute category is the amazing Jessica! Anyone who’s crossed paths with her will tell you that she’s the real deal when it comes to compassionate patient care. Jessica was nominated while working in Grants Pass, Oregon, and is currently working in Raymond, Washington. She works with recruiter Meghan B.

Jessica started working in nursing in 1997. She decided to try travel nursing in 2017 and found it to be a great fit.

“[Travel nursing] gave me the freedom to share my knowledge and skills with others across a vast network of facilities while still providing care to the growing elderly population,” she says.

Jessica continues to enjoy travel nursing both personally and professionally.

“[I like] not feeling stagnant in one position and seeing new regions of the U.S.A. Also learning from others that I would not have the opportunity to learn from if I were in a permanent facility,” she says.

She’s clearly learned a lot throughout her journey, and it’s made a positive impact on her patients and colleagues alike. Here’s Jessica’s recent DAISY Award nomination from her co-worker Sandra:

“I met Jessica at [a facility in Grants Pass, Oregon]. I would not have been able to survive without her at the time. She is currently working at [a facility in Raymond, Washington] and they have great things to say about her also. I have requested that she come to Aberdeen as soon as they can let her go from Raymond. She is a great nurse manager in any position.”

Meghan B., Jessica’s recruiter, was very happy to hear about Jessica’s DAISY Award win, and also had wonderful things to say about her and her work.

Jessica is a pleasure to work with and have on my team! She never complains and is always willing to help where needed. She is flexible and a hard worker. She’s well-liked by her peers and staff,” says Meghan. “Jessica is an amazing nurse. I am very proud of her and this accomplishment.”

Jessica says she was “shocked and humbled” when she found out she won the DAISY Award.

“It is a great honor to be a DAISY recipient and to have the unexpected recognition of others who I have had the opportunity to help during my travels,” she says.

Nominate a Nurse for the DAISY Award

Jessica and Roshelle, the entire Medical Solutions is so proud of you! From recruiters to onboarding to payroll, incredible travelers like you are why we do what we do every day. We are grateful for your efforts, compassion, talent, and skill.

Do you know a nurse like Roshelle or Jessica? Someone who always goes above and beyond with incredible compassion and positivity? If so, nominate them for a DAISY Award now! We encourage recruiters, fellow nurses, and hospital leaders to nominate deserving nurses so we can celebrate those called to care.

Here’s the nomination criteria for Medical Solutions’ DAISY partnership:

  • Must be a current Medical Solutions traveler.
  • Must be a direct care RN or LPN/LVN.
  • Shows empathy and demonstrates a caring attitude in all situations.
  • Demonstrates extraordinary clinical skills in the delivery of compassionate patient care.
  • Has a positive attitude and demonstrates professionalism in the work environment.
  • Establishes a special connection with patients and families.

If that sounds like someone you know — go ahead and nominate them now!