Kathy Dougherty, RN, a staff nurse at Jefferson’s Methodist Hospital in Philadelphia, was honored with the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses after assuming the role of the Good Samaritan for a neighbor in need.

A nurse in preadmissions testing and the preop, Dougherty was nominated by the family member of a neighbor she helped.

According to the nomination letter, one early Monday morning as Kathy was leaving her home she noticed someone trying to get into her neighbor’s house. She soon realized it was her neighbor trying to get into his own home. He was bleeding profusely and seemed to be dazed. Although Kathy did not know the extent of his injuries, she called 911. She stayed with her neighbor and comforted him until the ambulance and his family arrived. The ambulance took him to JMH’s ED. He had multiple injuries, some severe and life-threatening, including rib fractures, a punctured lung and neck fractures. He spent the next three weeks in the trauma ICU.

"Those three weeks were very scary for us," the nominator wrote. "Kathy would call or stop by to inquire how my [relative] was doing nearly every day. … My family and I would like to thank Kathy for actually noticing our [relative] in the dark struggling to get into his house. Had it not been for Kathy finding him at that time and keeping him from moving around, our [relative] might not be with us today. We are grateful and forever in Kathy’s debt."

The award is offered through the DAISY Foundation.