DAISY Award—Emma Blackmon

Emma Blackmon

Emma Blackmon

I am writing to honor and nominate Emma Blackmon for the Educator Daisy Award. My relationship with Emma began when she became the critical care educator eight years ago. At the time, I was a Clinical Resource Nurse in the CTICU. This provided me with close proximity to Emma. She was always available for questions and willing to take me under her wing to help with class education and skills day. Emma was (and remains) a huge asset and advocate for critical care nurses. During Emma’s time as the critical care educator, she oversaw and created learning opportunities and advancements for not just ICU nurses but nurses and ancillary staff throughout the hospital. During this time, some of the larger projects Emma oversaw include code blue training, the annual ICU Skills Day, Safe Patient Handling education, Alaris pump integration, and the development of the ICU new grad float pool onboarding program (aka Critical Care Fellowship). The Critical Care Fellowship program she co-created is a highly sought position for new grads to be accepted into. Emma has published an article reflecting on the program's successes. Emma assumed the role of instructor for many existing classes but brought her knowledge, experience, and vision to improve upon the existing classes. As with previous Daisy Award Recipients, Emma is humble, kind, and puts the needs of others ahead of her own. Emma built trusting relationships with many healthcare practitioners throughout the hospital, setting the pace to justify the need for a second critical care educator. At the end of 2021, I was provided with the opportunity to work closely with Emma as an additional critical care educator. Again, Emma provided me with opportunities, respect, and encouragement as I grew in the new position. Emma is not only a valuable resource, but also my mentor and good friend. Since becoming a critical care educator, I have grown close with Emma, and I am honored to nominate her for the inaugural Educator Daisy Award. Thank you for taking the time to read and consider this meaningful nomination.

—Stacey Camposagrado, MSN-Ed, RN, CCRN

I am honored to nominate Emma Blackmon for the DAISY Educator Award in recognition of her outstanding commitment to nursing education, the advancement of the profession, and the guidance of new graduate RN's within the Critical Care Fellowship at UC Davis Health. As a nurse educator at UCDH, Emma has consistently exemplified dedication, compassion, and expertise in shaping the future of nursing. Her approachable demeanor and unwavering support have created a nurturing learning environment where new graduate RN's thrive and develop into competent professionals. She has coordinated imperative annual trainings for all Staff ICU RN's and teaches courses for new RN's to help them acclimate to the fast-paced environment of critical care.

Emma goes above and beyond to support new graduates and all staff. She fosters the development of critical thinking skills, the use of evidence-based practice, and a culture of continuous learning among her new hires, preparing them to meet the challenges of modern healthcare with confidence and empathy. Her passion for nursing education is evident in her tireless efforts to support professional growth and instill values that define exceptional patient care. Emma's impact extends far beyond nursing, she is an integral part of the positive culture and clinical team at UC Davis Health. Emma continues to be an inspiration to myself and countless others to uphold the highest standards of nursing excellence and to provide compassionate care for patients and families. Her dedication to the nursing profession and her peers makes her a truly deserving candidate for the DAISY Educator Award.

—Coleton Matics BSN, RN, CCRN

I am Nominating Emma Blackmon for the Educator Daisy Award. I have had the pleasure of knowing Emma and working closely with her since she agreed to be my preceptor during the education clinical rotation in the Sacramento Sate MSN program. During that time, I had the privilege of watching her in a variety of settings from code blue training tucked into a hard-to-find spot in nuclear medicine to supporting world delirium day. Watching her teach critical care classes is truly inspiring. She skillfully weaves anecdotes with a variety of viewpoints making her teaching objectives easy to understand and relevant. She frequently sources experiences from her learners making her classes poignant and engaging. And while her impact across our hospital is far and wide, I cannot do it justice. So, I will focus on how she has impacted me.

During my time as an MSN student, Emma continuously exemplified a true educator. She had the idea of creating an ICU immersion week to bridge the gap between senior preceptorship and the first rotation in the Critical Care Fellowship. For some new graduate nurses, there is often four to six months between the two. As we brainstormed, she fostered my creativity and gave me space to voice my opinion. She truly valued my input and encouraged me to carry out our vision. I felt so empowered and excited to create a meaningful experience for the new graduate nurses. Her passion was infectious. She gave me opportunities to trial the simulation games we created. I was able to get feedback and see our vision become a reality. I was hooked. Additionally, after my preceptorship, she continued to give me opportunities to stay involved. She continued to request my participation teaching the ICU immersion week. Even going further and inviting me to contribute to an article submitted for publication, something I would not have done on my own. She truly cares for the professional development of nurses at all stages of their career.

Similarly, I am deeply impacted by Emma’s dedication to the New Grads in the Critical Care Fellowship. Not only does she create a safe space for learning through her classes and salons, but also cultivates that safe space for learning among the preceptors. She has enrolled preceptors across seven adult ICU in the vision of the Critical Care fellowship. She fosters collaboration among the preceptors to give the new graduates the best possible experience. Her integrity shines through in all her actions. She frequently says being clear is kind and she lives by that. The new graduate nurses know that she will be open and honest with them. She gives honest feedback and seeks it out for herself and the program, continually looking for ways to improve and adjust to meet the needs of the new graduates and the hospital. She understands the vulnerability of being a new graduate nurse and is often their voice. She values equity and inclusion. I have witnessed her boldly call out biased behavior holding everyone to a high standard. Emma is kind and thoughtful and considers everyone’s background and culture. Emma’s dedication to the New Grads is felt by all.

—Haley Floriano, RN, MSN, CNRN, SCRN

“Emma Blackmon embodies the Nursing Mission, Vision, Philosophy, and Values of UC Davis Health. In her role as Critical Care Educator, Emma interacts with each Adult Critical Care nurse in the organization, new and experienced. Emma consistently seeks out the latest evidence-based practice to incorporate into the classes and policies that she teaches and revises. She is widely known and sought out for her expertise in the Critical Care arena due to her warm, welcoming, and supportive demeanor. One of her responsibilities as Critical Care Educator is to help transition new graduate nurses into professional practice. The Critical Care Fellowship is successful widely due to the hard work and passion that Emma has put into it over the years. The warm, welcoming, and supportive demeanor shines through in her interactions with new graduate nurses. She creates a safe space for new nurses to learn, grow, and discuss questions or challenges that one experiences in their transition to practice. In addition to helping with this transition, Emma also fosters a healthy environment where curiosity is grown and nurtured. Her support is pivotal to the success of new graduate nurses in the Critical Care space and is unlike anything else in the UC system. She exemplifies model nursing practice to ensure that the highest quality patient care is provided to our sickest of patients at UC Davis Health. Emma’s commitment and dedication to her role and the organization have made significant positive and palpable impacts that transcend nursing. There is no one more deserving of this award than she is.”

Please accept this as my sincerest nomination for Emma Blackmon.

—Santiago Garcia, MSN, RN [Cohort 48]