Kim Bouvier-Barnes, RN, receives Alice Hyde DAISY Award
May 29—MALONE — Kim Bouvier-Barnes, RN, was honored as UVM Health Network — Alice Hyde Medical Center's fourth recipient of the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses.
Bouvier-Barnes was nominated by a colleague who said her tireless advocacy for a cancer patient in need of a specific treatment helped ensure the patient got the care they needed, despite at-home challenges that may have prevented them from receiving the therapy.
'REFUSES TO TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER'
She received the award during a surprise ceremony at the hospital's Reddy Cancer Center, where she serves as a cancer care nurse. Rebecca Shutts, MSN, MBA, RN, Alice Hyde's Chief Nursing Officer, called Bouvier-Barnes a dedicated and tireless advocate for cancer patients and their families.
"Kim refuses to take 'no' for an answer, when it comes to making sure her patients get the care and treatment they need, and she certainly went above and beyond for this patient," Shutts said.
"I am incredibly proud of the example she sets as a nurse, and her unwavering commitment to our patients and their care."
Bouvier-Barnes was honored to receive the award, which recognizes nursing care that goes above and beyond for patients and their families.
"Thank you," she said, adding that she continues to advocate for the patient, who is in active treatment. "I'm not done fighting for him."
Caring for cancer patients and survivors is a responsibility members of Alice Hyde's Reddy Cancer Center are proud to shoulder each day, and being a tireless advocate for patients — especially when the RCC team are the only resources and support a patient has — is something in which Bouvier-Barnes takes special pride.
"It seemed as though this patient's situation was hopeless," Shutts said.
"But Kim just wouldn't accept that."
Shutts said Bouvier-Barnes first shared the patient's situation with her in April, when it became clear that their at-home support system had seen significant changes that would threaten their ability to receive the specialized medical care that had, in the past, been successful at treating a specific type of cancer.
The specialized therapy regimen requires two weeks of 24-hour care following the treatment. In the past, the patient's friends had been able to provide that care at home — but their own families' medical needs had required they move out-of-state, and the patient's family members, who also live out-of-state, were not able to assist either.
Nevertheless, Bouvier-Barnes persisted — making countless phone calls over the course of several weeks as she explored different possibilities that could get the patient the care they needed post-therapy.
Finally in late April, her perseverance paid off and she was able to get the patient admitted to an inpatient care setting, so they could receive the life-saving therapy that had in the past been so effective at treating their cancer.
"Kim simply wouldn't take 'no' for an answer — no matter how much resistance or how many roadblocks she encountered," Shutts said.
"Her relentless advocacy was amazing to watch, and that's why I nominated her for this award."
Email: rcaudell@pressrepublican.com
Twitter@RobinCaudell
