BYU College of Nursing maintains an ongoing collaboration with The DAISY Foundation in acknowledging nursing educators and students who demonstrate exceptional compassion. The DAISY Foundation originated from the Barnes family's desire to commemorate the life of Patrick Barnes, who tragically passed away at just 33 years of age from complications of an autoimmune disease. To honor him, their family established DAISY, an acronym representing "Diseases Attacking the Immune System," as a means to express their gratitude to the nurses who provided care to Patrick and to honor outstanding nurses worldwide.
The College of Nursing presented a new DAISY award called the Circle of Influence Award. This allows the college to celebrate staff members who demonstrate a commitment to service rooted in compassion. This year, we are pleased to honor Gina Jackson with the Circle of Influence Award.
Gina was nominated by Dr. Adrianna Watson, an Assistant Teaching Professor in the College of Nursing. She said, “Gina shows up at the crack of dawn every morning in the NLC with a smile. I rarely see her in her office without at least 3 students, whether they are clarifying or just sitting down with her to chat about their lives. She consistently goes above and beyond to orchestrate complex schedules and keep each semester and its corresponding faculty members functioning like a well-oiled machine.”
Dr. Watson continued to describe Gina’s dedication to the students and said, “Gina herself is always willing to participate in the lab when needed as either a member of the "medical team" or a "patient" in the name of learning. Her flexibility knows no bounds, and she responds to each simulation, skills, and technical challenge with a patient, calm, and optimistic attitude. She lights up the lab with her faith and caring approach to each and every situation she encounters. Gina greets a Lab RN, Standardized Patient, Faculty Member, or Student with the same warm and welcoming attitude and instantly puts them at ease.”
The College of Nursing congratulates Gina and thanks her for her hard-working and nurturing spirit.