Ansley Long was my preceptor when I first started on the stepdown unit and I got to watch her transition into her role as an Assistant Nurse Manager. Since becoming our Assistant Nurse Manager, Ansley has continued to make the stepdown unit feel like home. She has the ability to make you want to work harder, smarter, and more effectively without putting undue pressure. Her manner of communication is down to earth and accessible. Talking with her about work troubles or needs is not an intimidating process. I received some difficult personal health news recently. I thought at first that I could power through the rest of work, but I was overcome with emotion all of a sudden and I knew I could duck into Ansley's office. She let me recover in private, gave me emotional support and encouragement, and helped settle a new patient who had just arrived. Recently, we had a safety event on the stepdown unit that required a re-evaluation of our shift change procedures and assessments. Talking with her in detail about this highlighted her skills as a manager. She helped me figure out where I personally had gone wrong and guided me through the process of developing an action plan to avoid these issues in the future. She did it all without making me feel like a complete failure or incompetent. She tactfully addressed the problem and helped me find the solution, but she didn't just lecture me and tell me what to do. Ansley may be a little intimidating, but that is just because of her high level of knowledge and skill in nursing. She is the kind of Manager that inspires you to do better. She does this by engendering a desire to make her proud rather than a fear of making her angry. This is a unique skill and something that makes her an exceptional Manager. I know that I feel supported and understood with her as my superior.