Registered Nurse Anastasia McFarlane Receives Daisy Award

The Advantage Medical Professionals team recently held a ceremony to honor their most recent Daisy Award recipient in New Orleans, Louisiana. Inspired by the quality care he received when hospitalized, this award was created in memory of Patrick Barnes, who died from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP) in 1999. Currently, more than 4,800 healthcare facilities and schools of nursing participate in the Daisy 29 countries worldwide.

Anastasia McFarlane, RN was recognized for her efforts to aid a young child and his mother just moments after the child sustained a life-threatening injury in a New Orleans area shopping center parking lot this past July. The incident involved a young toddler boy who unintentionally shot himself with a firearm that was stored inside the vehicle. Anastasia was just leaving the same parking lot when she heard the gunshot that she initially thought was a firecracker. As she continued backing out of the parking lot, she quickly realized what she heard was not a firecracker after seeing a frantic woman with a small child bleeding in her arms. Anastasia immediately ran to assist, leaving her car running with the door open. EMS still hadn’t arrived by the time Anastasia administered first aid to the child, so it was quickly determined the boy’s best chance for survival was for his family to immediately drive him in their own car to a hospital that was fortunately located nearby. Once they sped toward the hospital, Anastasia quickly washed her hands at a salon in the shopping center and hopped back in her still running car  to report to Ochsner for her nursing shift. She had just started her travel nursing assignment there the day before, and she was concerned her late arrival due to the incident would land her in hot water with her new supervisors. Luckily, just the opposite happened – they were both amazed and grateful for Anastasia’s quick actions to attempt to save the child’s life. Anastasia was relieved when she later learned the child was expected to recover. 

Anastasia was nominated for the Daisy Award by her healthcare facility supervisors and her recruiter, Crystal Shaffner. She was nominated not only for her life-saving efforts in the incident earlier this summer, but also for the excellent level of care she provides to her patients throughout the duration of her travel nursing assignment in New Orleans.

Advantage Medical Professionals would also like to recognize and congratulate all of our recent Daisy Award nominees: Patrick Beshears, Chremaine Davis, Jo Lynn Gilbert, Toni Hearn, and Shante Washington.

>> Click here to learn more about our past Daisy Award winners or learn more about the DAISY Foundation.

>> Feeling inspired?  Take the next step in your nursing career TODAY!