鈥淭he DAISY Award provides national recognition and appreciation to nursing faculty for their commitment and influence on their students,鈥� said Dr. Sloan Davidson, director of the School of Nursing at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. 鈥淣ursing faculty has a profound impact on the future practice of their students. SarahBeth Phillips has made a considerable impression on so many students in the School of Nursing.鈥�

After earning an associate and bachelor鈥檚 degree in nursing from 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, Phillips joined the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock nursing faculty in 2019. She also earned her master鈥檚 degree in nursing from Walden University in 2021.

鈥淚 am shocked but also very humbled and honored to receive the award,鈥� Phillips said. 鈥淢y passion is nursing. While I never thought being an educator would also be my passion, I have grown to love teaching.鈥�

糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock nursing student Weston Mosley described Phillips as an amazing professor who loves to educate nursing students.

鈥淪he is smart, kind, and professional,鈥� Mosley said. 鈥淪he loves to educate nursing students. I have sat in her office just to talk, and she was okay with that. We would just talk about nursing, school, and life. That is what I love about her.鈥�

This nationally recognized award is given in honor of Mr. Patrick Barnes, by his family who saw a need to celebrate the compassion provided by nursing students. These special teachers deserved recognition, and so the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Faculty was created. The intent was to honor nursing faculty who inspire their students to always remember that nursing is much more than tasks and technology. These faculty help ensure that the art as well as the science of nursing are brought to every patient experience.

鈥淢rs. Phillips made learning for me very simple and fun,鈥� said nursing student Jolesha Holder. 鈥淪he was a great ear to talk to and a great shoulder to lean on when needed. She wore two hats which were teaching and mentoring. I have difficulty with understanding content, but she made it easy for me to understand and comprehend.鈥�

As a nursing professor, Phillips said it鈥檚 important to keep in mind that these students are also human beings with lives who often need help outside of their academic pursuits.

鈥淣ursing school is an interesting time for everyone,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 important to remember it鈥檚 not just about being a nursing student but being a person too. I try to keep that at the forefront of my mind that they are also experiencing life, jobs, children, etc. I try to keep an open door for them to come in with any problem while also helping them build the clinical judgment that makes them an exceptional nurse. I want to produce nurses that I would be proud to work beside. Being able to see them grow from the beginning to graduation is an incredible experience.鈥�

One way that Phillips has been helping nursing students is by keeping in close contact with the three nursing students who were directly impacted by the EF3 tornado that struck central Arkansas on March 31.

鈥淚鈥檝e been making sure that I am talking one-on-one with the students who have been affected,鈥� Phillips said. 鈥淥ur faculty have been so generous in donating supplies and getting donations together for the students. We are several weeks removed from the tornado, but there is still so much that needs to be done. Sometimes they just need a hug or someone to sit down and talk to.鈥�

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Several University of Arkansas at Little Rock nursing professors have been volunteering at Little Rock鈥檚 Family Assistance Center and have described what it鈥檚 been like to help people through tornado relief efforts.

The , located at 315 N. Shackelford Road, is a partnership with Engage Arkansas, Arkansas Baptist Disaster Relief, the Salvation Army, Wolfe Street Foundation, Center for Youth and Families, Immanuel Baptist Church, Goodwill Industries, and the United Way.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think I鈥檝e seen the entire community come together like this since 9/11,鈥� Joanna Hall, assistant professor of nursing and director of simulation, said while describing the hundreds of volunteers she worked with at the Family Assistance Center since April 4.

Hall even brought her 5-year-old son Bodie to volunteer at the Family Assistance Center. While she was hesitant at first to bring her son, Hall said many parents have brought their children to volunteer and that the fellow volunteers embraced Bodie as one of their own.

鈥淚 was thinking a 5-year-old would be in the way, but they welcomed him with open arms,鈥� Hall said. 鈥淭hey dubbed him the official 鈥榳ater boy鈥� since he would walk up to cars in the drive-thru line and hand them bottles of water. Bodie absolutely loved it. He was obsessed with using the pushcarts, so the volunteers made sure he helped with any job that required one. He was out there learning some valuable life lessons all while working his sweet little 5-year-old magic.鈥�

The School of Nursing has come together to help their students impacted by the tornado. Faculty have been donating money, bought groceries and other necessities, and donated scrubs, shoes and medical equipment that students need to complete their classes and clinicals.

SarahBeth Phillips, assistant professor of nursing, has been volunteering at the Family Assistance Center while staying in close contact with the three nursing students and one adjunct instructor who were directly impacted by the tornado.

鈥淚鈥檝e been making sure that I am talking one-on-one with the students who have been affected,鈥� Phillips said. 鈥淥ur faculty have been so generous in donating supplies and getting donations together for the students. We are several weeks removed from the tornado, but there is still so much that needs to be done. Sometimes they just need a hug or someone to sit down and talk to.鈥�

Karen Bristow, assistant professor of nursing, and her husband found themselves spending the weekend following the tornado in their daughter鈥檚 Sherwood neighborhood helping to clean up and using their chainsaw to cut downed trees.

鈥淟uckily, my daughter had only minor damage to her house. They had one big tree in the backyard that fell on the fence and some damage to the roof, but some of their neighbors had houses with no roofs,鈥� Bristow said. 鈥淲e helped these neighbors with their debris. It was shocking to see all of that. The neighborhood was a mess.鈥�

Bristow has also been volunteering at the Family Assistance Center, where, among many things, they collect donations, organize them into individual packets for families, and give them to families as they drive through.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been a humbling experience because I have everything I need and so many people don鈥檛,鈥� Bristow said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 worth it to see the smiles on people鈥檚 faces after you give them their supplies and you smile at them. I鈥檓 glad to be a part of a community of giving back.鈥�

Phillips encouraged people to continue to volunteer, make donations, and check in on those affected by the tornado.

鈥淥ne of my students said she goes through the day and when she lays down at night, she misses her bed and her home,鈥� Phillips said. 鈥淭he weight of everything 鈥� trying to find a new home is on her and her husband鈥檚 shoulders while she is going through this hard program to try to become a nurse. Don鈥檛 forget that there is still a need out there. Some people haven鈥檛 been able to go into their homes yet, and some people have nothing. We don鈥檛 want people to forget about it.鈥�

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