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POTSDAM -- Compassionate, skillful, comforting, kind, and friendly are just some of the words used to describe two of Canton-Potsdam Hospital’s registered nurses who are the recipients of the coveted DAISY Award.

The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses was created in 1999 in memory of J. Patrick Barnes by his family. Patrick died at the age of 33 and his family felt the nurses who cared for him needed to be honored. The award was established as a way to thank all nurses who touch the lives of their patients, and for CPH that is 2020 DAISY recipient Margaret Dossert, RN, and 2021 DAISY recipient Joshua Cartmill, RN.

Ms. Dossert joined Canton-Potsdam Hospital’s Emergency Department in 2006. She has since worked with Gastroenterology, Ambulatory Surgery, and is currently working in the procedure area of the Leroy Outpatient Center.

In a nomination for Ms. Dossert, one patient noted she has had three procedures in which the nurse cared for her. The letter said, “Ms. Dossert epitomizes the skills a nurse should have to calm, inform, and comfort a patient.

“Her instincts for a patient's need, her skill as an efficient nurse, and her awareness of an individual's privacy are skillfully rendered from the moment she enters the patient’s room for the first time, until her duties to the patient are concluded,” the nomination continued. “Such a nurse certainly makes a difference in blood pressure, quick recovery, and provides dignity to the patient.”

Mr. Cartmill became part of the Canton-Potsdam Hospital team in 2017 as a Nurse Aid in the Medical-Surgical Unit (MSU) on the second floor. He continued on with his education to become a Registered Nurse and continues to work in the Medical/Surgical Department.

The mother of one of Mr. Cartmill’s teenage patients noted he established a wonderful rapport with her son.

“We live pretty far from Potsdam and Josh helped all of us through a very difficult time,” the nomination said. “He taught [my son] how to care for himself post-op, how to manage his pain, and how to manage on crutches. He related to a teenaged boy and his stressed-out parents with calm, confidence, and friendliness.”

Nominations for the DAISY Award are submitted by peers, patients, families, and members of the community. To nominate an exceptional nurse for the 2022 DAISY Award, visit https://www.stlawrencehealthsystem.org/nursing-excellence-awards.