Barton Labor and Delivery Nurse Recognized for Exceptional Care

(South Lake Tahoe, CA) – Stephanie Clayton, a registered labor and delivery nurse with Barton’s Family Birthing Center, has been selected as The DAISY Award winner for extraordinary nurses. The award is in recognition of the clinical skill and compassionate care nurses provide to create a superior experience for patients and their families. Clayton was nominated by a patient who received her medical support through two pregnancies at Barton Memorial Hospital.

Labor and Delivery nurses have an important job of bringing new life safely into the world. Some primary responsibilities include monitoring vital signs, not only of the expectant mother, but the unborn baby as well, and assisting during labor. Nurses provide support, confidence and encouragement throughout the process; the best nurses elevate the already memorable experience.

“[Stephanie] has been my nurse through a difficult pregnancy and two births at Barton. She goes above and beyond what is expected of her, and was particularly helpful even after my delivery when I needed help with breastfeeding,” said Lily Kirkhouse, a recent patient of Clayton’s, who submitted the nomination. “Her caring nature and ability to stay on top of all of her patients’ needs definitely makes her worthy of a DAISY Award!”

Clayton received her RN degree at the University of Memphis in Memphis, Tennessee, and has been a nurse for 15 years. She landed at Barton as a traveling nurse three and a half years ago; she loved the team and atmosphere so much that she chose to stay. When she’s not welcoming Tahoe’s newest residents into the world, Clayton enjoys traveling. Her passion for international backpacking allows her to immerse herself in other cultures, explore natural landscapes, and ground herself in yoga and meditation retreats. Clayton has participated in international medical missions in Vietnam, Thailand and the Dominican Republic, and looks forward to continuing this philanthropic work in the future.

“My favorite part of my job is meeting new people daily–patients and staff–and finding something similar that connects me to them,” said Clayton. “I am constantly learning from my patients and able to observe the beauty of how every woman and family experiences childbirth differently.”

Nurses may be nominated by patients and families, and the award recipient is chosen anonymously by a committee at Barton Health. As a winner of The DAISY Award, Clayton received a certificate, a DAISY Award pin and a sculpture called A Healer’s Touch, hand-carved by artists of the Shona Tribe in Zimbabwe. Awards are presented quarterly at celebrations often attended by the honoree’s colleagues, patients and visitors.

The DAISY Foundation is a not-for-profit organization established in memory of J. Patrick Barnes, who died in 1999 at age 33 from complications of an autoimmune disease (DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System). The care Barnes and his family received from nurses while he was ill inspired this unique means of thanking nurses. Today, this program has been implemented in more than 1,900 healthcare facilities, including Barton Memorial Hospital.

To learn more and nominate a nurse for The DAISY Award, visit BartonHealth.org/Daisy.