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The longtime nurse is recognized for her dedication to the profession.
Shenika Brandon, RN, MS with Holy Cross Health has been recognized with the DAISY Award, which celebrates nurses who go above and beyond in their efforts to provide patients and families with excellent, compassionate care.
Brandon joined Holy Cross Health in 2018 as a staff nurse of a 63-bed medical surgical unit. She quickly moved up to clinical lead, assistant nurse manager and nurse manager. During her time as a staff nurse and clinical lead, she also cared for patients in the Vitas Hospice Inpatient Unit. Brandon stepped down from her managerial position to pursue an MSN degree in executive nurse leadership, furthering her professional development. Now, she is the clinical lead registered nurse of a 26-bed cardiovascular intermediate stepdown unit and is continuing to further her education in pursuit of a master’s degree in health law at Loyola University Chicago.
In her current role as clinical lead, the Boynton Beach resident serves as the charge nurse, collaborates with her team on performance improvement initiatives and conducts daily huddles. She also assists the manager with managerial tasks as needed, mentors and educates staff, and advocates for optimal patient care outcomes. Additionally, she plays a key role in leadership rounding and Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JACHO) rounds, ensuring the delivery of the highest quality care to patients.
The colleague who anonymously nominated Brandon praised her “exceptional leadership abilities and unwavering commitment to compassionate, skillful care.” The co-worker called her “an exemplary nurse leader who consistently demonstrates compassion, support and dedication” and said she has “a profound impact on both patients and colleagues.”
During her first year at community college, Brandon gave birth to a son. Becoming a mother shifted her career aspirations from law to nursing, earning an associate degree in nursing. She successfully juggled single motherhood, full-time coursework and a 30-hour per week position as a student nurse tech at Saint Joseph Hospital in Chicago.
“It was incredibly demanding. The saying, ‘Don’t let your worries be bigger than your faith,’ keeps me moving for whatever goal I wait to achieve,” Brandon said. “I’ve always had a passion for helping others, and nursing offered both a meaningful path and the stability I needed to support my son.”
Upon graduating in 2005, she accepted a job at Saint Mary of the Nazareth in the medical surgical, ortho and rehab unit. There, she developed strong leadership skills, served as a relief charge nurse and actively participated in various committees that contributed to the improvement of patient care and outcomes.
In 2010, Brandon relocated to Florida and joined Delray Medical Center as a staff and relief charge nurse in an acute rehab unit. In 2013, she transitioned to Bethesda Hospital, where she was a staff nurse and then was promoted to assistant nurse manager.
Throughout her career, Brandon led a team during a critical health crisis, converted part of a unit to a stepdown for ventilated patients and developed a training program to prepare nurses for this situation. Brandon improved patient satisfaction scores by 20% and increased staff engagement by 17%.
As an active member of the American Nurses Association, Brandon stays up to date with the latest industry developments and contributes to the advancement of the nursing profession. Her work is guided by several core values and philosophies.
“I am committed to delivering patient-centered care, continuously expanding my knowledge through lifelong learning, fostering collaborative teamwork, practicing ethical standards and serving as a leader and advocate for both patients and healthcare professionals,” she said. “I believe in creating a just culture and promoting transparency in all aspects of healthcare. With a passion for making a positive impact in healthcare, I love that I can fuse together my passion for nursing and law to help facilitate better healthcare laws and advocate for all patients. It is both an honor and a privilege to contribute to the healthcare field, and I am dedicated to making a difference in the lives of those I serve.”
Prior to exploring nursing as a profession, Brandon spent six years as a therapeutic recreation leader for the Chicago Park District, where she led various activities with adults and children with disabilities, including coaching Special Olympics sports. When she’s not at work, Brandon enjoys spending quality time with her son, watching movies and reading.
A career in healthcare has provided Brandon and her son with the stability she never had as an adolescent. She was raised alongside her five siblings in Chicago. At the age of 12, she became a ward of the state and lived with various relatives for the remainder of her childhood. These formative years were marked by mental and physical challenges, but shaped Brandon’s deep commitment to education and her faith.
When in need of a pep talk, she looks to a quote by Roy T. Bennett for motivation to persevere: “Believe in yourself. You are braver than you think, more talented than you know, and capable of more than you imagine.”
DAISY Award recipients are nominated by patients, family members, fellow nurses, physicians, clinicians and staff who they observe providing extraordinarily compassionate care. The nominations are blindly reviewed by an internal committee at Holy Cross Health who judge the submission based on how the nurse meets and exceeds Holy Cross’ mission and values.
Each honoree receives a certificate in a DAISY portfolio, hand-carved Healer’s Touch Sculpture from Zimbabwe, pin, congratulatory banner to hang in the unit where they work, a copy of their nomination, gift bag and cinnamon rolls to share at a celebration. As a prize, Brandon will be added to the DAISY Award website and gain access to professional development, education and wellness benefits.
ABOUT HOLY CROSS HEALTH
A member of Trinity Health, Fort Lauderdale-based Holy Cross Hospital, dba Holy Cross Health, is a full-service, not-for-profit, Catholic, teaching hospital operating in the spirit of the Sisters of Mercy. Holy Cross has been recognized for six Types of Care in U.S. News and World Report’s 2025-2026 Best Hospital rankings and was named among the 2024 America’s Best-In-State Hospitals by Newsweek. Holy Cross has been designated as a High Performer by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation for LGBTQ+ healthcare access. Through strategic collaborations and a commitment to being a person-centered, transforming, healing presence, the 557-bed hospital offers progressive inpatient, outpatient and community outreach services and clinical research trials to serve as our community’s trusted health partner for life. Holy Cross Health also encompasses Holy Cross HealthPlex outpatient facility, urgent care centers and more than 40 Holy Cross Medical Group physician practices. To learn more about Holy Cross Health, visit holy-cross.com. Connect with Holy Cross Health on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.
