Respected Nurse Honored by Distinguished Award

A Phoenix resident serving as a nurse at The University of Arizona Cancer Center at Dignity Health St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Jean Chittendon, RN, was recently honored with the DAISY Award, which recognizes nurses who demonstrate skillful and compassionate care.

 Chittendon supports consistency in patient care, and is diligent in her communications with physicians, nurse navigators, and the pharmacy. As the informatics super-user of her team, Chittendon spends countless hours reviewing schedules and orders, troubleshooting power plan workflows, and taking screen shots for the clinical informatics team to reference. Displaying a strong skillset and considered a role model by patients, families, and peers, Chittendon exemplifies the attributes embodied by the DAISY Award.

The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses is part of The DAISY (D)iseases Attacking the Immune System Foundation’s program to recognize the super-human efforts nurses make every day.

The not-for-profit DAISY Foundation, based in Glen Ellen, Calif., was established by J. Mark Barnes and his family in memory of his son J. Patrick Barnes. J. Patrick died at the age of 33 in 1999 from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (IT)P, a little-known autoimmune disease. The nursing care Patrick and his family received while he was ill inspired this unique means of thanking nurses for making a profound difference in the lives of their patients and families.

“We are proud to be among the hospital systems participating in The DAISY Award program,” says Patty White, president and CEO of Dignity Health St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center. “Nurses are heroes every day. It’s important that our nurses know their work is highly valued, and The DAISY Foundation provides another way for us to do that.”