Daisy Award Spotlight: Julia Yocum, RN – HCA HealthONE Swedish OR/ICU
In April 2025, a 48-year-old woman suffered a devastating stroke. An emergency craniotomy saved her life, but her journey was far from over. Months later, she returned to Swedish Hospital for a second surgery to replace her cranial flap — a procedure that was supposed to be a step toward healing.
She was transferred from recovery around 4:30 p.m., and that’s when her family met Nurse Julia Yocum.
Julia greeted them with warmth and kindness. Her reassuring smile and gentle demeanor immediately put them at ease. She spoke softly to the patient, asking the familiar questions every brain injury survivor learns by heart:
“Where are you?”
“What year is it?”
“What hospital are you in?”
“What state are you in?”
The patient answered confidently. Her color was strong, her eyes were bright — and for a moment, her family believed everything would be okay.
The call that changed everything
The next morning at 7:00am., the phone rang. It was the surgeon. Something had gone wrong overnight. There were complications, and he needed permission to take the patient back into surgery.
By the time her mother arrived at the hospital around 10:00 a.m., her daughter was almost unrecognizable — her face swollen, her condition alarming. Desperate for answers, she searched for someone who could explain what had happened. The ICU team was busy with rounds and offered only blank stares.
And then Julia looked up.
She was at the patient’s bedside, calm and focused. She smiled and said gently, “I’ll be with you in just a few minutes.”
Her mother waited — grateful just to know someone would explain.
A steady hand, a compassionate heart
When Julia came to speak with her, her professionalism and empathy shone through. She explained, step by step, what had happened overnight.
Julia had noticed subtle but critical changes in the patient’s condition — slurred speech, fluttering eyes — and knew something wasn’t right. She immediately escalated her concerns, involving the head nurse and the neurologist. Thanks to Julia’s vigilance, the team monitored the patient closely and made multiple calls to the surgeon. They prepared her for intubation so she would be ready if surgery became necessary.
By 7:00 a.m., the surgeon made the decision to operate again. He discovered an epidural hematoma and removed the flap.
Our gratitude
That morning was one of the darkest moments of the family’s journey. The patient’s mother felt abandoned by the surgeon — but never by Julia.
Her quick thinking, clear communication, and steady, compassionate presence gave strength when there was none. Julia’s actions didn’t just comfort the family — they saved a life.
“She is the very definition of what it means to be a nurse: a healer, an advocate, and an angel in scrubs.”
For her extraordinary care, Julia Yocum has been nominated for the Daisy Award. Her story is a powerful reminder of the impact nurses make every day — not just through clinical excellence, but through humanity, heart, and hope.