In this, our annual Excellence in Nursing list, in partnership with the DAISY Foundation, we honor more than 300 medical professionals from New Jersey, with diverse practice specialties at more than 68 participating hospitals and facilities.
Click here to view the complete list of 2024 DAISY Award honorees from our state, three of whom we spotlight below.
Imani Hubbard • RN
Atlantic Cape Community College
After earning her bachelor’s degree in health and probation management, Imani Hubbard worked as an emergency room tech while serving in the United States Army Reserve. This provided Hubbard with hands-on experience, as well as encouragement to pursue nursing.
Hubbard recognizes similarities between nursing and military service; both require managing huge responsibilities in order to grow into a leadership role.
Hubbard says the major challenges of nursing are time management and prioritization. This makes teamwork crucial to getting things done in the hospital.
“Being able to lean on each other, knowing that when you are stressed or running late or whatever, you have each other to lean on—teamwork gives a great boost of positivity on the floor,” Hubbard says.
Hubbard finds that her willingness to make a difference is the most rewarding part of her work. She notes the importance of empathy for patients and says, “We have to realize that sometimes we’re all they have. And although it’s difficult and we’re stressed and we’re busy, at the end of the day, everybody’s human.” She hopes to become a military nurse one day, but for now, Hubbard intends to absorb as much knowledge about nursing as she can in her current role. —Ben Wasserman
Ilidio Santos • RN
Cooperman Barnabas, Livingston
Ilidio Santos Photo: Erik Rank
Ilidio Santos feels at home in the pediatrics unit, but his path there wasn’t a straight shot. Though he always wanted to go into medicine, Santos first set his sights on the academic side of the discipline. He studied cellular molecular biology at Kean University and did postbaccalaureate research on HIV, intent on a life of laboratories and analysis. Something felt missing, however. Motivated by the bedside-compassion aspect of the field, Santos was inspired to become a nurse. “I just felt the nursing component fulfilled me more,” he says. “I think that healing isn’t just medical and physical. There’s an emotional component to it.”
After graduating from the Rutgers accelerated nursing program, Santos began his nursing career in 2020 at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. He joined the pulmonary medical-surgical unit, working to resuscitate patients, help them recover, and assist wherever needed. “To walk in and see some of the complex situations that I saw—to say it was eye-opening is an understatement,” he says.
In 2023, Santos transferred to the pediatrics unit, continuing to maximize his patients’ comfort and minimize their fear. Whether prepping a toddler for a flu shot or approaching female patients with respect and sensitivity, Santos aims to be a source of light in any situation.
He notes that the strength required to be a pediatric nurse doesn’t come easy, and his team at Cooperman Barnabas, as well as his support system outside of work, make all the difference. Santos received his official board certification in pediatric nursing in February. “It’s the giggles you get from kids after their moments of fear. It’s that kind of feedback that drives me to continue,” he says. —James LaForge
Lily Neibart • RN
Hackensack Meridian Health Jersey Shore University Medical Center
Lily Neibart Photo: Erik Rank
For Lily Neibart, going into nursing meant following in the footsteps of her mom (a nurse), her dad (a surgeon), her uncle (a doctor), her grandmother (also a nurse) and her grandfather (a physician). But she also believed the job aligned with her own strengths of working with people and making them feel better. “I grew up always hearing about medicine and the hospital setting. My mom worked as a nurse at a hospital in medical surge units and then ICUs, and my dad’s a cardiac surgeon,” says Neibart, who currently works on the orthopedic floor of Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune City.
In her current position, Neibart works with pre- and post-op surgical patients in recovery. For instance, she helps treat individuals who have had elective hip- or knee-replacement surgery, monitoring pain medication and ensuring they’re mentally stable enough to begin physical therapy. Neibart’s division prides itself on its efficiency—typically, patients come in for surgery and are discharged within one or two days—which she attributes to the coordination among medical staff to ensure patients heal and get home safely.
All of this comes down to one crucial aspect of the job: earning people’s trust. Patients, Neibart explains, “kind of feel hopeless here because sometimes they do lose some of their autonomy,” leaving it up to her and her fellow nurses to make sure their needs are properly met. While she looks forward to obtaining more skills in the nursing field, Neibart sees being a patient’s voice as crucial to promoting a positive work environment and ensuring no one is overlooked. The key, as she puts it, is “to connect, gain respect, gain trust, and then advocate when needed.” —Ben Wasserman
