The Guam Regional Medical City recently recognized this nurse for her extraordinary service and dedication.
GRMC presented the DAISY award to the first-ever recipient in Guam, Lynnette Fires. The DAISY award, which stands for Diseases Attacking the Immune System, was founded by the family of the late J. Patrick Barnes to honor the work of extraordinary nurses.
Lynnette began her career as a nurse in Colorado, where she worked as an active-duty Army Nurse Corps Officer. With 25 years of nursing experience under her belt, Lynnette brought her expertise to GRMC’S Intensive Care Unit where she continued to provide care and compassion for her patients for the past four years.
Fires was among the 25 people to receive a nomination from her peers for the DAISY award. On the day of the award ceremony, Fires said that she attended the ceremony to support her fellow nominees and was stunned to see her husband, 7-year-old son, and father-in-law present.
Lynnette said that she was surprised and humbled to have accepted the award, as she recognizes that she works with such hardworking and dedicated people who are just as deserving.
When asked about what the DAISY award meant to her, Lynnette stated:
“To me, it’s honoring the works of the heart, it is such an honor to be a DAISY awardee, and honoree because it’s something that I think all nurses strive for. We do our jobs, yes. But a huge portion of that is taking people at their worst. The worst day/times of their lives, them not feeling well and hopefully turning it around and making it into something better.”
Fires was recognized for going above and beyond for her non-English speaking Japanese patient, who was hospitalized, scared, and alone. Fires offered a sense of comfort and familiarity to her patient when she contacted a local Japanese pastor to help bridge the language gap and provide moral support during hospitalization.
“I called around to a local Japanese church, and then I put out on Facebook trying to search for other possible Japanese speakers that would be willing to volunteer their time just to spend time. I felt like he would find a bit more comfort with someone who could speak his language. I actually found a pastor that was a part of a local Japanese church here, and he would come nearly every day and just sit at bedside, sometimes never even talking, but he was like a father figure to him,” Lynnette said.
Lynnette credits her co-workers for inspiring her to continue what she does and is grateful for their support and commitment to working together. She hopes that she can exemplify what it means to be a great role model for future nurses to come and looks forward to learning and growing within the nursing profession.
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