I work with Angela Walls in the Tele Critical Care East at the VA Medical Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. We monitor 38 VA Medical Center ICUs across the eastern United States. Tele Critical Care (TeleCC) provides around-the-clock remote access to critical care doctors and nurses via audiovisual technology. Working in partnership with the bedside staff, the primary goal of TeleCC is to provide care to critically ill Veterans. We typically monitor 40-50 Veterans during our shift. Part of our daily routine is using a two-way camera to check on each Veteran. We usually chat with the Veterans, explain the camera's purpose, and our role in their care. We spend a few minutes checking in with them to see how they are doing and sometimes will talk about upcoming procedures. Our typical interaction is usually around five minutes, given the number of Veterans we check in on.

Angela always goes above and beyond. I can hear her from across the room laughing with her Veterans, talking to them about their families, and discussing any concerns they may have about a procedure they have scheduled. When the Veteran needs something, Angela will always go the extra mile and call the bedside nurse to make them aware of the patient's needs.

One day when I was sitting next to her, she talked to a Veteran over the camera for more than an hour. He was depressed about being in the hospital with COVID. His bedside team, while attentive, was not able to come into his room to spend time conversing with him. He had no one to visit him, and he was lonely. He wanted to go home. He insisted that he was signing out AMA (against medical advice). Angela listened to him talk about his land and animals. He told her all about how he fished in the pond near his house and cooked those fish for dinner. When talking to him, Angela laughed at his stories and asked him questions about his farm. I could hear the smile in Angela’s voice. Angela’s kindness helped the patient to make the decision to stay in the hospital, recovering before being discharged.

This is not unusual for Angela. The following week some of the nurses we work with talked about Angela being on camera with a different patient for over an hour. She always takes the time to have conversations with the Veterans in her care. Her laughter with the patients radiates across the unit and always makes me smile. Angela’s kindness is not only given to the Veterans. She is also supportive and caring to the other nurses on our unit by consistently checking in with nurses who are having health issues, going back to school, or anyone going through a difficult time in their life. Despite juggling homeschooling for three kids and assisting in caring for a very sick family member, Angela always comes into work with a smile on her face and a positive attitude. Because of her sunny disposition and caring mentality, she is always quick to help answer any questions and assist those who need help, whether it is clinical or a technical issue. Her helpful nature puts me at ease, and I am drawn to asking her advice about any patient situation.

Having Angela as a resource enables me to better care for my Veteran patients. Angela was nominated for a We Care Award during Nurses Week 2022. She received the award in that category, and what was written still holds true today. The following was the nomination: “It is a wonderful gift to have a nurse like Angela on the unit. In a time where burnout is rampant, and the nursing community is constantly being tested, having Angela in the unit is a breath of fresh air. No matter what you throw at her, she has a smile and kind words; she takes everything in stride. Despite having 50 patients, running charge, and offering to help everyone, she is somehow able to strike a balance between being kind to veterans and staff while steadfastly advocating for them and doing whatever it takes to make sure they receive the best possible care. She consistently demonstrates excellent values; she is prepared, professional, respectful. She always answers the phone in a way that sounds like she is smiling. She is caring to staff and veterans and always respectful even in the most difficult of situations. We appreciate that she demonstrates how to de-escalate situations in a respectful manner and how to maintain composure and respect despite adversity. It is so valuable to the unit to have some who demonstrates exemplary nursing professionalism, constructive communication, and steadfast support of other nurses.” Angela always inspires me to be better and go the extra mile!