'He puts his heart and soul
into what he does'

ER Nurse Jonathan Barrett Receives DAISY Award

It takes a special kind of person to be a nurse.

Evidence of that fact can be found in any healthcare facility, in any zip code, in any region of the world.

The evidence is especially obvious at the Beaufort Memorial Pratt Emergency Center.

Jonathan Barrett, RN, BSN, who joined Beaufort Memorial in 2023, was awarded with a DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses on Aug. 22 in a surprise ceremony that brought his mother from Canada to witness his achievement in kindness and nursing excellence.

Heather Brewer, a Lowcountry mother whose daughter received care in the Beaufort Memorial ER, said when she nominated Jonathan that he had performed “one of God’s great acts of service.”

While Jonathan provided care for Brewer’s daughter, he showed deep compassion, stayed calm and took time to explain everything in a clear way to Brewer and her family.

“I am so thankful you have someone who thinks on their feet,” Brewer said. “The way he anticipated things before they happened was awe-inspiring.”

She added that it felt like Jonathan was taking care of family.

Jonathan received two DAISY nominations earlier this year, and Beaufort Memorial ER director Kevin Kremer, RN, BSN, said that Jonathan’s name is a mainstay on glowing patient satisfaction surveys.

Kremer shared a few of these comments calling Jonathan “one of the kindest men I’ve ever met,” a “truly one of a kind person,” “attentive” and highlighting that he always goes “out of his way.”

“Jonathan does a great job every day that he comes to work. He is such a kind, compassionate person, and that shows through to his care every day,” Kremer said. “Every patient he has loves him.”

The second nomination was submitted by a fellow Beaufort Memorial employee, Carson Frey, a CT scan technician, who was looked after by Jonathan after she suddenly became dizzy while being severely dehydrated earlier this year.

Jonathan, at the end of his own shift, wasted no time rushing Frey to the ER, getting her on an IV drip and bringing in Dr. Saeed Rehman, the Beaufort Memorial Pratt Emergency Center medical director.

“Jonathan collected my labs and made sure I was getting hydrated, and only then did I start to feel better,” she said. “I don’t like being the patient, but Jonathan’s dedication and hard work allowed me to calm down and trust that I was in good hands.”

He even stayed with Frey after his shift ended so that she wasn’t alone as she waited for her husband’s arrival.

“It’s so easy to pass over what he does daily as ‘just a job,’ but for Jonathan, he puts his heart and soul into what he does, and his patients are better for it,” Frey added. “I appreciate his kindness, respect and hard work to make sure I was not only safe, but to ensure that I felt safe.”

She said she was excited for Jonathan to receive this honor, and felt like he went above and beyond in caring for her.

At the ceremony, Beaufort Memorial President and CEO Russell Baxley shared the meaning behind the daisy flower. The small, white blooms represent innocence, he said, as well as purity and new beginnings.

“I really think nursing is a very pure profession. You come to work every day, and you serve people with compassion,” he said. “I heard a lot today about the compassion that Jonathan shows to his patients. Compassion is one of our core values. He is representing a core value, and that is special unto itself.”

Daisies also represent love and joy, and Jonathan is rarely – if ever – seen without a positive, joyful outlook – “something that is hard to do in healthcare,” Baxley added.

Jonathan said that he became a nurse because he felt like it was a good way to give back to his community, and the ER is someplace where compassionate care truly makes an impact. 

"In the ER especially, it can be difficult to maintain the humanity of nursing when dealing with what may be the worst day of your patient's life," he said. "Taking a second to remember that we are all human can be difficult, but it makes a world of difference to me, my patient's day and the care they receive."

The joy that is symbolized by daisies shone brightly at the celebration, and especially on the face of Jonathan’s mother Pam, who was visiting her son in the Lowcountry from Newfoundland, Canada – a region that is over 2,000 miles from Beaufort.

The surprise celebration was held on Jonathan’s day off, a day he expected to be spending with his mother during her visit when he was asked to come to work for a “meeting.” At the surprise ceremony, several of Jonathan’s colleagues showed their appreciation alongside his beaming mother.

“I am proud of this guy every day,” she gushed, hugging her son.