Shelbi Jopson Receives The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses
Midlothian, TX — Shelbi Jopson became the first nurse at Methodist Midlothian Medical Center to be honored with The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses ®. The award is part of The DAISY Foundation’s mission to recognize the extraordinary, compassionate care that nurses provide to patients and their families every day.
Shelbi, a labor and delivery nurse, joined the hospital when the unit opened in 2021. The Arlington native says she always felt a calling to be a nurse. She received her associate’s degree in nursing from Dallas College-El Centro Campus and is currently pursuing her bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas in Arlington. With a background in women’s services, neurology, and urgent care, Shelbi has over 15 years of healthcare experience. She and her family live in Midlothian.
The DAISY Foundation is a not-for-profit organization, established in memory of J. Patrick Barnes. Patrick died at age 33 in late 1999 from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), an autoimmune disease. (DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System.) The care that Patrick and his family received inspired the creation of The DAISY Foundation as a way to thank all nurses for making a profound difference in the lives of their patients and their patients’ families.
Nurses may be nominated for The DAISY Award by patients, families, and colleagues, and a hospital committee then selects a winner. The DAISY awards are presented throughout the year at celebrations attended by the honoree’s colleagues, patients, and visitors. Each award winner receives a certificate that states, “In deep appreciation of all you do, who you are, and the incredibly meaningful difference you make in the lives of so many people.” Honorees also receive an award pin and a sculpture, called A Healer’s Touch, which is hand-carved by artists of the Shona Tribe in Zimbabwe.
“We are proud to be among the healthcare organizations participating in The DAISY Award program,” says Jeremy Taylor, MHA, BSN, RN, TCRN, Vice President of Nursing and Chief Nursing Officer at Methodist Midlothian. “Nurses go above and beyond every day. It’s important that our nurses know their work is highly valued, and The DAISY Foundation provides a way for us to do that.”
“When Patrick was critically ill, our family experienced firsthand the remarkable skill and care nurses provide patients every day and night,” says Bonnie Barnes, FAAN, DHL, Co-Founder of The DAISY Foundation. “Yet these unsung heroes are seldom recognized for the superhuman, extraordinary, compassionate work they do. The kind of work the nurses at Methodist Midlothian Medical Center are called on to do every day epitomizes the purpose of The DAISY Award.
In addition to extraordinary nurses, The DAISY Foundation also gives international recognition and lifetime achievement awards to nurse-led teams, nurse leaders, nursing faculty and students, and nurses advancing health equity in over 5,300 healthcare facilities and nursing schools. It also funds nursing research, medical missions, community programs, and evidence-based practice projects through the J. Patrick Barnes Grants program. More information is available at www.DAISYfoundation.org.
