DAISY Award Winner Breaks Language Barriers Through Uncommon Compassion

January 16, 2025 — AdventHealth’s Newest DAISY Award Winner Breaks Language Barriers Through Uncommon Compassion

HENDERSONVILLE, NC, Jan. 16, 2025 – AdventHealth Hendersonville is excited to introduce you to Ashely Culbertson, BSN, RN, winner of our DAISY Award for the uncommon compassion she showed to a critically ill patient in the intensive care unit.

The young, non-English speaking patient was battling a critical case of COVID-19. Ashley showed uncommon compassion, as she patiently communicated in spite of the language barrier, and explained the patient’s medical conditions in terms they could understand. She gently prepared the patient to be intubated, and preemptively arranged health care power of attorney, ensuring the patient would have someone to make decisions on her behalf when she could not.

Ashley went above and beyond to care for the patient with love and kindness and worked closely with the team of experts in different areas to meet the medical needs of this critically ill patient. She showed genuine compassion and worked in the best interest of the patient who was without her family at a scary and critical time in her life.

“Ashley’s genuine caring with the assistance of the interpreter was an incredible support to this patient and was instrumental in overcoming the language barrier,” shares Kim Carver, BSN, RN, Manager of the Float Pool and Administrative House Supervisors for AdventHealth Hendersonville. “If it had been my daughter in this situation, I would be incredibly overwhelmed with the gratitude for a nurse like Ashley to take care of my daughter in the worst moment of her life and ensure that her emotional and medical needs were met with kindness in my absence. Nursing is truly a calling on Ashley’s life.”

AdventHealth Hendersonville is honored to recognize Ashley as the new DAISY Award winner.

The DAISY Award was created by the family of J. Patrick Barnes in 1999 to thank the nurses who cared for Patrick and for them as he battled an autoimmune disease. Patrick lost his battle, but his family realized the impact his nurses had on the final days of his life. For that, they wanted to create an opportunity for all families who experience the benefits of the extraordinary care of nurses to show their appreciation.