Calling all retired nurses! Volunteer to help celebrate compassionate care in nursing.
The DAISY Foundation is a not-for-profit organization, established in memory of J. Patrick Barnes, by members of his family. Patrick died at the age of 33 in late 1999 from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), a little known but not uncommon auto-immune disease. (DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System.)
The care and compassion Patrick and his family received from Nurses while he was hospitalized inspired the creation of The DAISY Award® for Extraordinary Nurses, a recognition program to celebrate and recognize nurses by collecting nominations from patients, families, and co-workers. It is run by DAISY partner organizations to thank nurses for the care and kindness they provide.
In addition to the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses, the Foundation expresses gratitude to the nursing profession in over 6,500 healthcare facilities and schools of nursing around the world with recognition programs for nurses wherever they practice, in whatever role they serve, and throughout their careers- from nursing student through lifetime achievement, and through several lines of grant funding. More information is available at https://www.DAISYfoundation.org.
In early 2024, DAISY and AARP came together to help recognize even more nurses, by providing AARP members with information on how to nominate their special nurses for The DAISY Award.
Starting in January 2025, we are expanding our collaboration into a new phase by offering a volunteer program to retired nurse AARP members to assist with their local DAISY Award programs!
DAISY Foundation Volunteers = Passionate & Positive Retired Nurses
As a retired nurse, you know the incredible impact nurses have every day on their patients, patient families, and colleagues. DAISY is here to recognize and celebrate that care!
Those impacted by a nurses’ compassion may submit a DAISY Nomination sharing their story of why their nurse is so special. Hundreds of these stories may come in each month to every organization that partners with The DAISY Foundation, and help is needed to process, organize, and distribute these special nominations.
As a DAISY volunteer, you will use your time and talents to make a meaningful impact in your community and nurses.
Become a Volunteer: AARP DAISY Volunteers are volunteers who will assist the onsite DAISY Coordinator who runs their DAISY Award program in their hospitals. Volunteers will be assigned to manage nominations and thank you notes to nominators. This position has flexible hours, and volunteers will receive training.
If you have a little extra time and a passion for the extraordinary care nurses provide, click below to learn more about this position, including responsibilities, qualifications, and training information.