ODESSA, Texas — Larissa Falcon has always wanted to become a nurse one day.
"It was something that was always in the back of my mind, and once that burns there you can never get rid of it," said Falcon.
Through hard work and dedication, she's made it a reality. Falcon has been working as an LVN in the halls of Medical Center Hospital for four years, not just treating patients, but caring for them on a personal level.
"I guess with every patient I see, my family member, what I would want for them, how I would want them to be treated, and what I would want done for them," said Falcon.
And that compassion has not gone unnoticed by peers or patients. This February she was recognized with the DAISY Award, an award patients and their families can give to nurses to show their appreciation.
"I was like, 'what, me?' I honestly thought they were on the floor to congratulate someone else," said Falcon. "I did have a patient that he recognized me as being one of the best, and one of my orientees was his night nurse. So he was like, 'not only did her nursing come out towards me, but I could see her nursing with who she orientated come out as well.'"
Falcon said recognition from peers is nice, but recognition from a patient is extra special.
"So, it’s just a really big honor to win a DAISY Award because you’re recognized by a patient's family," said Falcon. "I mean, you could be recognized by coworkers, of course Medical Center recognizes us all the time, they’re big advocates for us, but to be recognized by someone’s family, to say that you touched them that much to make that nomination, is very rewarding."
By touching the lives of patients and families, and also being a leader amongst her peers, Larissa Falcon's dream turned out to be bigger than what she could have imagined.
"It just kind of puts the hard days into perspective," said Falcon. "It makes the hard days a little bit easier, and it makes me love it even more on my easy days."