Please join us in congratulating Amanda Garza, a HealthTrust RN and DAISY Award Winner for August 2025! Read on for details about Amanda’s award and what she had to say about the honor.
"A Constant Source of Positivity"
Nominated by the wife of a patient under her care, Amanda was described as “truly exceptional” and “a constant source of positivity,” an RN with a joyous spirit and tireless dedication to her patients!
Amanda is also a source of joy for everyone who works with her, winning praise from co-workers as well as HealthTrust leaders, who were proud to accompany Amanda to the DAISY award ceremony.
"Being There for People ... Is Very Rewarding to Me"
“It means so much to receive this incredible form of acknowledgment for the work that I do,” Amanda said about receiving the DAISY Award.
“Out of all of the hard working, compassionate, and deserving nurses I have met throughout the years I am incredibly honored to have been chosen as a recipient of the DAISY Award!”
And as one of those hard-working nurses, Amanda knows the value of being recognized for doing a job that’s too often taken for granted.
“It’s easy to feel like what you do goes largely unnoticed by the majority of the world, and winning the award reminded me that the impact we make is carried outside of the hospital and remains in the hearts and minds of those whom we have helped,” she told us.
“The most rewarding part of working with patients is the ability to be a positive force for people in what is often one of their darkest hours. We work side by side to get through the darkness together, and I try my best to be a reminder that dawn will come,” she said.
“The ability to use my medical knowledge to inform and educate in order to assuage the fears and uncertainties, often unavoidable feelings of someone when they are a patient, is truly gratifying,” she added. “Being there for people during arduous times, helping them to recuperate, and hopefully witnessing them triumph over their ailments is very rewarding to me.”
Advice for New Nurses from a DAISY Award Winner
Amanda also talked about the importance of making patients “feel a bit more confident and empowered about dealing with their conditions,” explaining that she does so “by providing them with information, resources, encouragement, and genuine compassion,” as well as humor. “Seeing the smiles or hearing the laughter of patients is one of my favorite things!”
A healthcare professional for more than eight years now, Amanda also has advice for other nurses aspiring to achieve the DAISY award — or who may just be looking for a little motivation or affirmation as they begin their careers.
“Be conscientious of your emotions and the emotions of those around you. In healthcare settings, patients and workers alike experience the whole gamut of human emotion every single day. Try not to let the stresses get the better of you, and know that it is okay if they sometimes do,” she said.
Pictured: The HealthTrust team celebrates Amanda's DAISY Award
“As long as you are there with the best intentions and always try to make a positive difference while following guidelines, then you are doing the right thing. You will continue to learn and grow as a person, more than you could have ever imagined!”
Designed to recognize and celebrate nurses across the U.S.A., the DAISY Award is a highly respected program that honors RNs, LPN, LVNs, nursing students, and more. Learn more here — or search open jobs with HealthTrust, the nation's leading nurse staffing company!
