Nationals in the diaspora continue to make headlines in their various fields of work.
This time, it’s the turn of registered Nurse Iris Lake-Ryan, more fondly known as Iris Amah Lake.
She has added another proud achievement to more than three decades of dedicated nursing service, receiving the internationally-recognized DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses at Mount Sinai Morningside Hospital in New York City.
The announcement of the Daisy Award honouree for this quarter was made on Wednesday.
The DAISY Award recognizes nurses internationally for the extraordinary and compassionate care they provide to patients and families, in memory of J. Patrick Barnes.
For someone who has devoted much of her life to caring and advocating for others, the recognition carries special meaning for Lake-Ryan.
She described herself as “shocked, grateful and a tad overwhelmed,” thanking the person who nominated her, the selection committee, Mount Sinai Morningside Hospital and the DAISY Foundation, while giving God the glory.
For more than 30 years, Lake-Ryan has worn her nursing uniform with passion, purpose and an unwavering commitment to her patients.
Now serving as Assistant Nursing Care Coordinator on a Cardiac Care Step-Down Unit, caring for people is at the heart of who she is.
Lake-Ryan’s journey in nursing was built on a strong educational foundation. After beginning her education in Montserrat, Iris continued her studies in Canada and graduated Magna Cum Laude from Dawson College in Montreal in 1992 with a degree in Nursing.
That achievement marked the beginning of a career that would span decades of bedside care, leadership and patient advocacy.
Lake Ryan is passionate about ensuring that her patients are treated with dignity, listened to and given the quality of care they deserve.
That same passion has made her a strong advocate for safe patient care. She has stood alongside fellow nurses calling for adequate staffing and healthcare standards that allow nurses to give their patients the attention and care they need.
Throughout her journey, Lake-Ryan has held firmly to a principle she often shares, that is “To whom much is given, much is expected.”
The DAISY Award is another proud milestone in a career defined by education, compassion, advocacy, service and a genuine love for nursing.
ZJB News joins the myriad of congratulations to Montserrat’s own Registered Nurse Iris Lake Ryan.