Earlier this month on Dec. 5, West Seattle resident and Swedish Medical Center nurse Troy Cavanaugh was honored with a DAISY Award “for his extraordinary patient care … Troy exemplifies social responsibility, service excellence, ethical behavior, safe patient care, quality care, and continual education,” according to a press release.

Cavanaugh works as a registered nurse at the Ballard Swedish campus. Here is an excerpt from his nomination:

Troy Cavanaugh, RN, Ballard (hire date – 2007; West Seattle)

One of Troy’s most inspiring clinical experiences was when he was working in a hospital with no perinatal services. On one particular evening he was working in the ED, a car pulled up to the ambulance entrance with a mother in the final stages of labor. Troy delivered the boy, directed the other staff to find the never used infant warmer and created the environment that resulted in both patients doing very well. The exceptional part of this story is Troy’s calm under fire and his ability to direct his team through this unusual and stressful situation.

Background on the DAISY Award:
Each month, nurses in more than 1,260 participating hospitals across the United States are nominated by their colleagues and patients to receive The DAISY Award. The honorees receive a certificate commending outstanding clinical care and a designation of being an ‘Extraordinary Nurse.’ The certificate reads: “In deep appreciation of all you do, who you are, and the incredibly meaningful difference you make in the lives of so many people.” The honorees are also given a sculpture called A Healer’s Touch, hand-carved by artists of the Shona Tribe in Africa.