PRS Global Celebrates Daisy Award Winner Nurse Joseph

What is the DAISY Award^®?

Established in 1999 by the family of J. Patrick Barnes, the DAISY Foundation honors nurses through the internationally-recognized DAISY Award. After Patrick died at the age of 33 from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenia Purpura (ITP), his family wanted to do something to honor him. They decided to recognize the nurses who had cared for him and the generosity and kindness they had shown. And so the DAISY Award was born (DAISY stands for Diseases Attacking the Immune SYstem).

This special honor celebrates nurses who go above and beyond for the oft-overlooked contributions they make every day. Honorees receive a certificate, pin, hand-carved Healer’s Touch Sculpture, and more. They are also featured on the DAISY Foundation website and are eligible for multiple professional development, education, and wellness benefits.

Who Is Nurse Joseph?

PRS Global is thrilled to celebrate recent DAISY Award recipient, John Joseph (Joe) Facundo, BSN, RN, who came to the United States through PRS Global’s international direct-hire program and is now a nurse in the ICU step-down at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland.

Originally from the Philippines, Joseph has been a nurse for seven years. He worked in the ICU in the Philippines and is now starting his career in the United States as an ICU step-down nurse. Joseph and his fellow step-down nurses offer critical care for patients as they transition from the ICU to a general hospital floor before hopefully returning home. In addition to all the skills of a registered nurse, step-down nurses have additional experience caring for patients who require more intensive care and can also intervene if a patient crashes or needs other emergency care.

Joseph developed his passion for nursing after an accident when he was 12 years old. “I remember they said I was saved by my guardian angel because I was an inch away from the fence and I was the only one who wasn’t injured. It boosts my confidence, my self esteem, to be in this profession and be able to improve a patient’s feelings or experience having an illness or sickness.”

The Essence of Nursing

DAISY honorees are nominated by patients, families, and coworkers—first-hand witnesses to the compassion, skill, and care these nurses provide. Any licensed, registered nurse, nursing faculty, or nursing student is eligible and honorees are selected and recognized throughout the year.

For Joseph, receiving the DAISY Award celebrates the very essence of nursing—the compassion and caring for patients. For the patients and families he interacts with, this human touch creates a positive impact during their stay in the hospital. And the fact that he was nominated by patients and their relatives makes the award even more special.  “My patients, even though they are suffering from debilitating conditions, they managed to write those letters, so it means a lot to me.”

Joseph received five nominations, including one from the husband of an elderly patient who had passed away. The woman was suffering from heart failure and cancer, and the doctors said it was just a matter of time. There was nothing more they could do. Her husband of 30-40 years was her only relative. Unfamiliar with Zoom or other technologies that would allow the couple to visit remotely, Joseph talked with the husband on the phone and encouraged him to come to the hospital and be with his wife. However, the husband suffered from severe claustrophobia and couldn’t overcome his phobia in order to visit his wife in person. 

Joseph thought about what he could do to help this couple see each other for the last time and say their final words to each other. Working with the hospital staff, he proceeded to go back and forth to the sixth floor where the wife was so the couple could see each other virtually. To Joseph, this kind of compassion comes naturally. “I just used myself as a channel to make my patient feel that she’s not alone, that it’s okay to let go.” 

Establishing that level of rapport and interpersonal relationships is the first thing Joseph learned during his school days, and something he says is being forgotten today. He knows patients are under a lot of stress and anxiety simply being in the hospital. Beyond the skills and knowledge, that approach to relationship-building goes a long way to make patients feel that it’s ok to be in the hospital.

Other nominations praised Joseph’s upbeat energy, his warm smile, and his encouraging and positive words. As one recommendation put it, “He was our sunshine in our dark times.”

International Nurses Care Bravely

Joseph arrived in the United States at a time when anti-Asian hate was on the rise. News stories, including an attack on a Filipino man in Chicago, worried him. The warm welcome Sinai staff met Joseph with calmed those nerves. 

PRS Global works closely with their clients to ensure nurses receive a warm welcome. From communications during the immigration process to meeting nurses and their families at the airport, nurses coming to work at hospitals in the US are embraced by a friendly community of support. 

Creating an inclusive and accepting environment puts international nurses at ease after moving to a new country and sometimes leaving their families behind. At Sinai, Joseph felt accepted, encouraged to share his thoughts, and never felt like he or other international nurses were treated less than American staff. “Equality has a large impact in a workplace and work environment is very important to me.” 

The values at Sinai impacted Joseph’s idea of taking care of my patients, particularly the Care Bravely approach, which permeates the hospital culture. Through this approach, Sinai staff: 

• See patients as people and put people before profits
• Use science to make life better for families and communities
• Do the right thing, even when it’s the hard thing

This spoke to Joseph’s dedication to interpersonal relationships. “Care bravely means you are not doing only what you should have done. You can go above and beyond for your patients. At the end of the day, that’s your patient. Whatever you are doing, the one that will get the benefit is your patient.”

From Student to Teacher

It didn’t take long for Joseph to become a preceptor himself, teaching new staff the ropes at Sinai. In his experience, building confidence is the key to success. Hospitals hire trained, experienced nurses, but every new job has a learning curve. The orientation phase—including clinical practices, trainings, seminars, and providing feedback—provides time for international nurses to adapt to new practices and technologies used in the United States. 

Joseph’s advice to other preceptors begins with respect. Just as he was treated with respect when he arrived, he now pays it forward because, as he says, “respect begets respect.” He also recommends assessing new international nurses first to see what they know, what they’re good at, and what can be improved. Then set goals based on that assessment. 

But not all learning comes from assessments and seminars. Joseph encourages hospitals to create opportunities for social engagement. And not just for the international nurses, but for the entire staff. From casual gatherings to holiday parties, holding facility-wide activities creates a bond among staff of all levels. Joseph sees this camaraderie as a way to counter burnout and help staff unwind. 

As well-deserved as Joseph’s DAISY Award is, it doesn’t take an award to see that he is an exemplary addition to the team at Sinai Hospital. Even when he’s exhausted, Joseph always has a smile to share, a song to sing, and a kind word for patients, family, and coworkers. “This is my first time working in the United States. With the help of PRS Global I was able to be here. My dream!” 

The PRS Global Commitment

PRS Global's commitment to the nurses and clients they work with doesn't stop with the nurses arrival. The end-to-end partnership they’ve created ensures nurses and healthcare facilities are set up for success. 

Only PRS offers the ReadiBridge Program, an integrated approach to orientation and onboarding that ensures the success of newly landed international nurses. To the staff at PRS Global, an international nurse is more than just a name in a box. They are dedicated to delivering placements that are successful for the hospital and for the candidate and family.