Coventry Nurse Gets Award for Going Above and Beyond

COVENTRY, RI—A Coventry native and nurse at Kent Hospital in Warwick just got an award for going above-and-beyond on the job caring for patients.

Kristen Frias, of the hospital’s psychiatric care unit, is the recipient of the DAISY Award for January.

The DAISY Foudnation of Glen Ellen, CA, was founded by the family of 33-year-old J. Patrick Barnes who died in 1999 at 33 from complications of a rare auto-immune disease, Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura, or ITP. The care he received from nurses when he was sick inspired Barnes’ family to establish the foundation to thank nurses “for making a profound difference in the lives of their patients and patient families,” according to a news release.

Frias was nominated by a patient who wrote that she “goes the extra mile for her patients and their families, she stands above the rest. Kristen’s professionalism is an understatement- she strives for perfection and it shows. I am very happy to have had a nurse like Kristen.”

Rebecca Burke, vice president of care services and chief nursing officer at Kent Hospital, said that in Frias’ nomination “you can feel the appreciation of the patient as they explain how they were comforted to have Kristen as their nurse. We strive for the best patient care here at Kent Hospital and Kristen demonstrated that. Thank you Kristen.”

If you would like to nominate an extraordinary nurse that you encountered at Kent Hospital, you can submit an application to www.kentri.org/daisyaward or in person. Fellow providers and patients may also nominate a nurse for the award.