Abby was covering a nurse for their break. She went into the room of a patient that was already ready for discharge. Abby could have just gone along and discharged the patient, but she took the time to ask the patient if they felt comfortable going home with their drain. I could hear from the hallway that the patient let out a big sigh and said, “I’m really scared about taking care of it.” Abby paused the discharge and had the patient demonstrate to her how to empty her drain while offering her support and guidance. I heard the patient say, “Thank you so much,” with such an expression of gratitude. This is just one out of countless experiences I’ve witnessed Abby go above and beyond the call of duty.

As a preceptor, she advocates for nurses to speak up for themselves against bullying and mistreatment. We had a patient who was berating her and her new graduate nurse in training. She mentored and coached her new grad to balance the safety of the patient while role modeling firm, but compassionate language with the patient to set limits and maintain boundaries. Her colleagues have stated that she is “one of the greatest nurses” on the unit and appreciate her never-ending willingness to help everyone. She is an exemplary nurse and leader on the floor.