<em>Photo above:&nbsp;BMH nurses Samantha Coburn and Jennifer Hughes are shown here with nursing director Nancy Fu (center), who presented the nurses with the Daisy Award. Photo by Paul Nurnberg.</em>

It’s not in their job description, but Beaufort Memorial Hospital nurses Samantha Coburn and Jennifer Hughes took on the role of event planners to cheer up a hospitalized Marine disappointed he wouldn’t be able to take his wife to the Marine Corps Ball. &nbsp;

A hopeless romantic, Coburn conspired with her charge nurse, Hughes, to plan&nbsp; a special in-hospital affair for the couple to make up for the missed gala. The nurses-turned-party hostesses decorated the fifth floor waiting room and brought in food, flowers and bubbly non-alcoholic juice. They even set up a cell phone to provide music. &nbsp;

&nbsp;For their tender gesture, each of the nurses was honored recently with a DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses, a national tribute reserved for RNs who go the extra mile to care for patients and their families.&nbsp;

“It was the best and biggest surprise ever,” said Marine Staff Sgt. Stanley Santos, who nominated the two nurses for the prestigious award. “I cannot explain how happy that made me. My frustration from being stuck in a hospital turned to gratitude for all of the effort that was put into making my stay, and especially that day, a pleasurable one. I could not have asked for a better experience.”

Hospital administrators and coworkers gathered in the unit to surprise the two nurses with the award.&nbsp;

They were given an engraved vase full of daisies and a hand-carved sculpture titled, “A Healer’s Touch”.

The DAISY Award was created in 1999 by a Seattle couple as a way to honor the nurses who took care of their son before he died. It has since been adopted by healthcare facilities all over the world. Anyone can nominate a BMH nurse for the DAISY Award. Applications are available throughout the hospital.

Earlier this year, Coburn and Hughes also were presented Vaux Humanitarian Awards. The prize is made possible through the Vaux Fund, set up to honor the memory of Ruthven Vaux, a longtime Bluffton resident and member of the Beaufort Memorial Hospital board.

“Both of these nurses are passionate about their profession, and going the extra mile is the norm for them,” said Nancy Fu, the floor’s nursing director. “’I’m grateful to have them as part of a terrific team of caregivers who live our core values.”