One of the most recent graduates from the Peavy School of Nursing (PSON) at the University of St. Thomas-Houston, ShaWayne Lee, BSN ’22, has been recognized with the prestigious DAISY Award for nursing.

Lee is a critical care nurse at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center (BSLMC), where her extraordinary nursing caught the attention of a particular patient’s family. They submitted Lee for DAISY Award consideration writing:

“My father has been in the ICU for a few days, my sister and I work a lot, unfortunately, so we cannot be here 24 hours a day. When you have a family member as sick as he is, you get worried if the nurses will give them a certain level of care in your absence. ShaWayne has been amazing! Extremely attentive, professional, caring, and thorough, and I feel that she cares for him as if he was her own father. He is a tough cookie and doesn’t warm up to people, but she has been his favorite. He said she has been very good to him. Out of 10, she is a 20!”

Small Town Girl Always Knew 

Lee grew up in a small town called Gretna, Louisiana, where she always knew her career path.

“I knew I wanted to be a nurse since I was a little girl,” she said. “Growing up around family members in the medical field sparked my interest at a young age.”

Her Gratitude to PSON

She credits UST for her top-flight nursing education. “PSON prepared me by allowing me to participate in clinical rotations that catered to the area of nursing that particularly interested me. I participated in the Elite ICU program, a partnership between PSON and BSLMC.”

The young, award-winning nurse feels gratitude for what she gained.

“I want to thank Ms. Nakisha Paul, director of PSON’s Simulation Center, for being an amazing mentor and faculty member, as well as the entire University of St. Thomas – PSON. I’m so grateful for the foundation everyone there helped me to establish.”

Prestigious Recognition So Early in a Career

Lee said she was overwhelmingly surprised to receive the DAISY Award with less than a year of experience as a professional.

The DAISY Foundation website states the DAISY Award honors “the super-human work nurses do for patients and families every day, wherever they practice, in whatever role they serve, and throughout their careers.”

Congratulations to our very deserving alumna ShaWayne Lee.