LincolnHealth Ambulatory Surgery Nurse Ericka Fairfield was recently chosen to receive the prestigious DAISY Award for providing exceptional care. The award was presented May 7 by Bonnie and Mark Barnes, whose Foundation began honoring nurses in 1999 in memory of their son, Patrick, who died of a rare disease. Since its inception, more than a million nurses have been nominated for the award in 50 states and 17 countries.

“This award means so much to me because I was nominated by my patients,” said Fairfield. “I went into nursing to care for our community, so it is very rewarding to be recognized. It was particularly special to have Patrick's family there as well. Nurses have a passion to care for others and the fact that they created an award to honor that and the experience their son had with nursing care is amazing.”

Fairfield, who lives in Pittston, has been with MaineHealth since 2007, beginning as a CNA while in nursing school. She transferred to LincolnHealth a year later and now serves as the primary recovery room nurse of the Post Anesthesia Care Unit.

“I knew I wanted to be a nurse after the death of my Papa when I was 10 years old.  I helped my  mother, Nana, and aunts care for him, and the experience was truly formative for me at such a young age,” she said. “I knew I wanted to help others.”

Fairfield was joined at the ceremony by her husband, daughter, members of her surgical services families and several other LincolnHealth colleagues.

“I could not be the nurse that I am today without the support from my amazing husband, my family, and my surgical services family,” she said.