Phillips Receives DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Faculty
SarahBeth Phillips, an assistant clinical professor of nursing at UA Little Rock, has been honored with the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Faculty, which celebrates nursing faculty for their inspirational influence on the nurses of today and tomorrow.
“The DAISY Award provides national recognition and appreciation to nursing faculty for their commitment and influence on their students,” said Dr. Sloan Davidson, director of the School of Nursing at UA Little Rock. “Nursing faculty has a profound impact on the future practice of their students. SarahBeth Phillips has made a considerable impression on so many students in the School of Nursing.”
After earning an associate and bachelor’s degree in nursing from UA Little Rock, Phillips joined the UA Little Rock nursing faculty in 2019. She also earned her master’s degree in nursing from Walden University in 2021.
“I am shocked but also very humbled and honored to receive the award,” Phillips said. “My passion is nursing. While I never thought being an educator would also be my passion, I have grown to love teaching.”
UA Little Rock nursing student Weston Mosley described Phillips as an amazing professor who loves to educate nursing students.
“She is smart, kind, and professional,” Mosley said. “She loves to educate nursing students. I have sat in her office just to talk, and she was okay with that. We would just talk about nursing, school, and life. That is what I love about her.”
This nationally recognized award is given in honor of Mr. Patrick Barnes, by his family who saw a need to celebrate the compassion provided by nursing students. These special teachers deserved recognition, and so the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing Faculty was created. The intent was to honor nursing faculty who inspire their students to always remember that nursing is much more than tasks and technology. These faculty help ensure that the art as well as the science of nursing are brought to every patient experience.
“Mrs. Phillips made learning for me very simple and fun,” said nursing student Jolesha Holder. “She was a great ear to talk to and a great shoulder to lean on when needed. She wore two hats which were teaching and mentoring. I have difficulty with understanding content, but she made it easy for me to understand and comprehend.”
As a nursing professor, Phillips said it’s important to keep in mind that these students are also human beings with lives who often need help outside of their academic pursuits.
“Nursing school is an interesting time for everyone,” she said. “I think it’s important to remember it’s not just about being a nursing student but being a person too. I try to keep that at the forefront of my mind that they are also experiencing life, jobs, children, etc. I try to keep an open door for them to come in with any problem while also helping them build the clinical judgment that makes them an exceptional nurse. I want to produce nurses that I would be proud to work beside. Being able to see them grow from the beginning to graduation is an incredible experience.”
One way that Phillips has been helping nursing students is by keeping in close contact with the three nursing students who were directly impacted by the EF3 tornado that struck central Arkansas on March 31.
“I’ve been making sure that I am talking one-on-one with the students who have been affected,” Phillips said. “Our faculty have been so generous in donating supplies and getting donations together for the students. We are several weeks removed from the tornado, but there is still so much that needs to be done. Sometimes they just need a hug or someone to sit down and talk to.”
