When I think of the qualities that a nurse has – kind, caring, compassionate, an advocate - Amy is immediately the person who comes to mind. She is the very epitome of what it means to be a nurse. I remember being so nervous for my first day on my new unit. I was scared, sad, and still missing my old home unit. Amy’s friendly face and kind eyes were the first things I saw that day, and I will never forget her huge smile as she took me under her wing to help integrate me into the unit. I often think about this pivotal moment and how it has shaped the rest of my time on this unit. Interestingly enough, these attributes of Amy’s are the things that patients most commonly comment on when giving me feedback. 
 
I will never forget this one time the doctors told us that a patient was not going to make it past the morning. As I walked past his room, I saw the patient staring at me, his eyes pleading for company. The patient could not speak as he had just been extubated a few days before and there were no family members at bedside. As I walked into the room to stay with the patient, my thoughts overtook my mind, wondering if this gentleman was scared and if he was aware that he was going to pass. I felt myself tearing up and as such, left the room. I felt I had failed because I wanted someone to be with the patient during this difficult time, but I couldn’t keep my emotions in check. Without me even asking, Amy saw the distress I was in and took over for me. I will never forget the emotions that went through me as I saw her go in and sit with the patient, her presence offering him comfort in his time of need. It was something that I wish everyone could witness on their own because it was truly touching and so incredibly genuine and sincere. 
 
Amy was the nurse for a patient who was admitted for suicidal ideation. The patient had a tough time trusting anyone, but Amy was able to gain her trust by really taking the extra time to listen to her and making her feel valued. Amy spent quite a bit of time with the patient, listening as the patient unloaded all of her worries and fears onto her without judgment. It was truly incredible to see how the patient lit up from within when Amy came onto shift the next day with boba and some of the patient's favorite snacks for her. The patient was in shock that Amy remembered her and what she had said she liked. It was a truly touching moment that made me think to myself that that is the person I want to be, someone who truly has made a difference in someone's life during their time of need. 
 
This is what I love most about Amy, her genuine sincerity. We had another patient who had extremely low self-esteem due to being morbidly obese. During her stay, she would refuse all care which left a lot of nurses frustrated when caring for her. When Amy was her nurse, Amy took the time to really get to know the patient as a person. The patient visibly relaxed when Amy came into the room and let Amy tend to her. For the first time during her lengthy stay, the patient was enthusiastic and motivated. The patient looked like a brand-new woman by the end of the shift.
 
Amy is such a great person who is such comfort to so many of us. She is someone who is super humble and does things not for recognition but because, at her very core, that is who she is. To her, these acts that mean so much to the rest of us are not something she thinks anything of because she just does it as if she knows no different. I believe it's so important to recognize people like Amy because she truly is sunshine to so many of us and she deserves to know how much her kindness, empathy, compassion, and her just being her mean to the rest of us. She truly is an inspiration.