For nurses, recognition often arrives not through promotions or titles but through the voices of patients and colleagues who witnessed care at its most human. That recognition recently reached Dubai-based nurse Kathrina Gonzales in the form of an international DAISY Award.
Gonzales, 40, works as a staff nurse in the outpatient department at Saudi German Hospital Dubai. A registered nurse and midwife trained in the Philippines, she holds both DHA and MOH licenses, credentials required to practice in the UAE. She was recently named a DAISY Award recipient, an honor given to nurses whose care consistently goes beyond clinical expectations.
Her path into nursing was shaped early by responsibility. As the eldest of six siblings, Gonzales left the Philippines shortly after graduating in 2006 to work in the UAE and support her family. “After graduation in 2006, I came to the UAE to work for the family,” she shared with TGFM. She spent more than four years working in Sharjah before returning home due to family matters.
From 2013 to 2021, Gonzales worked as a community nurse in the Philippines, a period she describes as formative. She later decided to return to the UAE to continue her hospital career and eventually joined Saudi German Hospital Dubai.
While nursing was considered a practical choice at the time—many of her relatives work in healthcare—Gonzales said the decision was ultimately personal. “Even so, I already thought of being a nurse because my heart is to help people and to care for them,” she said. She added that her early inspiration came from an unexpected source: “At that time, I was inspired to be a military nurse because of the movie Pearl Harbor.”
That early motivation evolved into a long-term commitment to patient advocacy and comfort. “What motivates me up to now is the desire to help others and to promote comfort to people in a way that I know,” she said. “Like advocating and giving them health advice. As nurses, we make a really big difference in people’s lives.”
Gonzales said receiving the DAISY Award brought conflicting emotions. “It was mixed emotions, but I was very happy, thankful, honored, and proud,” she said.
In her daily work, Gonzales emphasizes compassion and cultural awareness, particularly in a healthcare system that serves patients from many backgrounds. “As a nurse working in a multicultural environment, I always have compassion and empathy to treat people with kindness,” she said. “I show respect to whatever nationality or working status my patients have.” She also highlighted professional values she prioritizes in her practice, including “honesty and integrity,” along with “proper communication, cultural sensitivity, patient safety, and patient autonomy.”
Despite demanding schedules, Gonzales said she maintains a clear boundary between work and family life. “I am not boasting, but I love working. I am a very hardworking person,” she said. “Even so, I always make sure that I call back home to check on my family, especially my daughter and my husband, to give them time and updates each day.”
The DAISY Award, established by the DAISY Foundation, is an international recognition program honoring nurses who demonstrate exceptional compassion and patient-centered care. Created by the family of J. Patrick Barnes, the award acknowledges nursing excellence through nominations submitted by patients, families, and colleagues who directly experienced that care.
