Columbia Nursing student receiving Daisy Award

Midwifery Student Honored with DAISY Award

Danyá Kelly, a second-year Midwifery Doctor of Nursing Practice student and a registered nurse at Lenox Hill Hospital, received a DAISY Award for October 2024. 

Patients, families, and co-workers nominate individuals for the award, which recognizes and celebrates extraordinary nurses.  

Kelly shared why the award is so meaningful for her: 

“Winning the DAISY Award was a huge accomplishment for me, marking a significant milestone in my nursing journey. Before becoming a nurse, I worked as a CNA at Children's of Alabama, where I admired the nurses who received DAISY nominations and awards. Their dedication and compassion inspired me, and I made it one of my professional goals as an RN to earn this recognition someday. 

By pure coincidence, I received the award on my one-year anniversary at the hospital. I had started to feel discouraged, thinking there was no way I would achieve this milestone within my first year. The kind words shared by the family member who nominated me were incredibly moving. What I considered simply ‘doing my job’ profoundly impacted their life, and that realization reinforced why I chose this profession. 

This award reminds me that every interaction matters, and it motivates me to continue growing as a nurse and showing up for patients. Knowing that my care can make such a meaningful difference in someone’s life is the greatest reward I could ever ask for.”