Extraordinary Nurse Recognized at Nashville General Hospital: Kelly Fox, RN

Kelly Fox, RN, a case manager in the Emergency Department at Nashville General Hospital, was honored with the DAISY Award for the compassion, advocacy, and steady dedication she brings to work every single day.

Emergency Department case management is not an easy role. Every day brings patients facing homelessness, mental health crises, complex social needs, difficult placements, and emotionally challenging circumstances. It is not uncommon for Kelly to arrive at work and find patients already waiting in the lobby who need placement or urgent connection to community resources. Rather than feeling overwhelmed, she immediately begins working to meet each patient's needs while managing referrals, coordinating admissions, and responding to requests from triage and patient care areas throughout the day. No matter how many priorities compete for her attention, she treats every patient with dignity and respect.

One recent week captured exactly who Kelly is. She came to work to find a patient who had been dropped off from Bowling Green, Kentucky, with nowhere safe to go and in need of placement. Kelly did far more than make phone calls. She showered the patient, provided clean clothing, and spent her day coordinating resources and advocating until the patient had a safe place to go. She recognized that healing extends well beyond medical treatment. It begins with restoring dignity, hope, and human connection.

"Kelly embodies the mission and vision of Nashville General Hospital through her selfless service, unwavering advocacy, and genuine compassion," wrote Lisa Sampson, MSN, RN, who nominated her. "She reminds us that nursing is not only about providing clinical care. It is about meeting people where they are, restoring hope, and making every person feel valued during some of the most difficult moments of their lives."

Her kindness, resilience, and commitment make a lasting difference for our patients, our staff, and our community.

About The DAISY Foundation

In addition to the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses, the Foundation expresses gratitude to the nursing profession internationally in over 5,000 healthcare facilities and schools of nursing with recognition of Nurse-led Teams, Nurse Leaders, Nurses Advancing Health Equity, Nursing Faculty, Nursing Students, Lifetime Achievement in Nursing and through the J. Patrick Barnes Grants for Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice Projects, Medical Mission Grants and their new Health Equity Grant programs. More information is available at http://DAISYfoundation.org