ROME, Ga., Aug. 7, 2024 – The care Sam Traylor provided a young patient in the Emergency Care Center at Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center left more than a positive impression on the 8-year-old boy.

The child had been experiencing abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and fever for a few days. He was dehydrated, very weak and scared. But Traylor, a registered nurse in the ECC, knew just what to do.

“This nurse made him feel very comfortable and was very skilled at his job,” a family member wrote. “The first thing my nephew needed was an IV. His nurse knew he was dehydrated but worked very carefully and confidently to get the IV access he needed to get better.”

The boy’s experience later at another facility did not go as smoothly and he remembered Traylor’s gentle touch.

“He is only 8, but he remembered the kindness, compassion and patience his nurse showed to him when he was in the ER. I truly believe this nurse made a lasting impression on my nephew just by being himself. My nephew and family appreciate you,” the boy’s uncle wrote.

As a result, Traylor received a DAISY Award Tuesday. The international program recognizes bedside nurses for the exceptional care they provide. A patient or the patient’s family must nominate winners.

“I think this really shows how important it is to make that human connection,” said Sheila Bennett, senior vice president and chief of patient services at Atrium Health Floyd, who presented the award to Traylor. “Once you make that human connection with a patient, you become part of their story and you change their life forever.”

Traylor said the time he spent with the boy was memorable, and that situation illustrated why he enjoys being a nurse.

“I remember that little guy. He was a tough kid. He was inspiring,” Traylor recounted. “When we are presented a problem, we have an opportunity to help fix it and help people out.”

The family of Patrick Barnes established the DAISY Award after Barnes died from an auto-immune disease while being treated in a Seattle hospital.

Bennett presented Traylor with a DAISY pin and a sculpture entitled “A Healer’s Touch.” Members of the Shona Tribe in Zimbabwe hand-carve the sculptures. 

The nurse and his teammates were also treated with cinnamon buns, a DAISY tradition because it was one of the few things Patrick Barnes could eat while he was hospitalized.