TCU Nursing senior Geo Martinez was nominated by Abell-Hanger Professor of Gerontological Nursing Dennis Cheek, Ph.D., for his action in helping another TCU student with a hypoglycemic episode, and adjunct professor Haley Trainer, MSN, RN, nominated him for his work in the labor and delivery (L&D) clinical rotation at Texas Health Resources in Fort Worth.
The award was presented to Martinez by Dr. Cheek at the 2023 Celebration of University Leadership awards ceremony this April.
The DAISY in Training Award™ is designed to remind students, even on the hardest days in nursing school, why they want to be a nurse. By recognizing nursing students for the above-and-beyond care and compassion shown to patients and their families we celebrate what it truly means to be a nurse. We honor the nurse-patient connections that make all the difference to patients and their families in their health care experience and that makes great nurses truly great. TCU Harris College’s baccalaureate nursing program is proud to be a DAISY in Training Award™ Partner, recognizing a student nurse with this special honor annually.
Here is what they had to say about his nomination:
“I have the pleasure of teaching undergraduate Pharmacology and Geo was a student in my course. During this time, we cover many topics related to drugs, especially their side effects, and it happened that we were covering diabetes and treatment and one of the major side effects is life-threatening hypoglycemia.
Since this is the semester that the students begin their clinical rotation, they focus on the clinical or hospital. But, in this case, Geo was visiting with his resident assistant (RA) in his residence hall when the RA was called away to a student room. Later, the RA called Geo to come to the room. When he arrived at the room, he assessed that the student had all the signs of hypoglycemia. Geo immediately gave the student his Dr. Pepper and encouraged the student to drink. By the time emergency medical services arrived, the student has significantly improved due to the rapid action of this nursing student.” – Abell-Hanger Professor of Gerontological Nursing Dennis Cheek, Ph.D.
“Geo was immensely helpful to the staff nurses during their rotation in L&D. A patient was admitted who only spoke Spanish and he jumped at the opportunity to help translate for this patient. Throughout the day, the patient developed complications requiring an immediate cesarean section. Geo remained at the patient’s bedside with the nurses and helped translate all that was happening as the complications began and progressed. He also went with the patient to the operating room and translated there. He not only translated for the nurses but for the anesthesia providers and obstetric providers involved in the care of this patient.
All the nurses in L&D stopped me before I left and told me what an amazing nursing student Geo was during the day in L&D. The nurses specifically expressed thankfulness that he was able to provide better care for the patient because of his help translating while assisting them in providing patient care. The obstetrician herself even approached me and raved about how helpful and important Geo became during this patient’s care and how they all relied on him to assist them in communicating with the patient during the day and, eventually, during an emergency. He has such a great and contagious personality, and he shared this with the nurses, providers and patients in L&D. Geo is an excellent example of not only TCU’s nursing program but the heart of the nursing profession.” – Adjunct Professor Haley Trainer, MSN, RN
Congratulations, Geo Martinez! Way to Lead On!
An acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune SYstem, the DAISY Foundation was formed in November 1999 by the family of J. Patrick Barnes who died at the age of 33 of complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP). The nursing care Patrick received when hospitalized profoundly touched his family.