Kylie Davidson B’25, a member of Saint Mary’s inaugural B.S. in Nursing class, describes herself as loud, outgoing, confident, and adaptable. She thanks Saint Mary’s for helping her develop most of those characteristics … well, except for two. She says with a laugh that she’s always been loud and outgoing.
As an RN at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, this combination comes in handy when she’s advocating for her patients and their families.
Because of the excellent care Davidson showed in treating a craniotomy patient, she was presented with the DAISY Award for extraordinary nurses in April 2026. This national award is the first program of its kind to give patients, families, and co-workers a way to express their gratitude to nurses for what they became nurses to do — provide compassionate care to patients and their families.
The family who nominated her wrote in her nomination:
“We cannot express our gratitude enough for Kylie going the extra mile to ensure our family was emotionally stable as well as my husband being physically stable to go home.
“My husband had a brain biopsy and was transferred to the floor for observation until he was released. Kylie was assigned to his room. She was very caring, compassionate, and explained all the procedures that were happening. She took her time with him, as his motor skills and speech were impaired; she helped calm him as he struggled to communicate.
“On the second day, Kylie could tell he was in no condition to be released, even though the on-duty doctor was preparing to sign the discharge papers. Kylie advocated for my husband after spending 12 hours with him, while the doctor on duty visited only for 10 minutes.
“Kylie went so far as to take on extra work shifts to ensure that my husband would not be sent home before he was ready, especially since we live 3 1/2 hours away. Kylie could see we, the family, were on an emotional rollercoaster and struggling to understand all the potential issues that could arise once we were home, considering the long drive.”
One of the reasons Davidson loved Saint Mary’s nursing program was that it focused on treating the patient, not just the symptom. “I definitely think it’s important, especially for nurses, to see patients as a whole,” she said, adding that part of care is also listening to the family as they know the patient best.
Davidson knew the patient’s blood pressure was too high for him to be released, particularly so far away, so she continued to question discharge orders. When he further started having headaches and vomiting, she took on an extra shift to closely monitor him and ensure he wasn’t released earlier than she felt comfortable with.
“Like they said, we’re with the patient 16 hours versus the 10 minutes the doctor is in the room,” she said. “I told the family, ‘He’s in good hands. I’m not going to let him go.’ ”
Davidson said she grew up with medical issues and was frequently in the emergency room as a child. Remembering the kindness of the nurses who cared for her was part of what made her want to go into nursing herself.
“They’re the ones who get to know you as a person,” she said. “I knew I wanted to help people.”
At Saint Mary’s, she found her home in the nursing program. “The small college feel was what was best for me,” she said. “I always felt understood as a person, rather than a number.”
Being part of the first nursing class, she and the other students were asked to give constant feedback to help the program change to adapt to students’ needs. “It made me very adaptable,” she said. “I got to experience a little of everything with the program. It was a really good experience.”
She advises upcoming nursing students, “Don’t be afraid to be yourself authentically with your patients. That’s how you create trust with them, and always remember why you started.”
Receiving the DAISY Award was great, but smaller gestures like thank-you cards and extra hugs also mean a great deal to Davidson. “You really create a bond with your patients,” she said.
She recalls Sister Agnes Mary Graves, RSM, DNP, director and Inaugural Jack and Mary Ann Remick chair of Nursing, telling her class that their workplaces will know they come from Saint Mary’s. “I couldn’t agree more,” Davidson said, adding that she works with another Saint Mary’s nursing graduate on her unit. “We’re confident, adaptable, and outgoing, and I feel like our orientation was cut short but for others it’s not. You can tell we came from Saint Mary’s. Saint Mary’s made me the nurse that I am.”
