I write to you to express my admiration and gratitude to my nurse manager, Anup Sidhu. Anup is a manager unlike any other I have worked for/under, and 100% deserves to be awarded The DAISY Nurse Leader Award. I look up to Anup as inspiration for the type of leader I want to see myself develop into. Anup is fair and just, she holds her staff accountable, and will listen to any and all concerns. Every effort is made to make Main Peri Anesthesia a better place, not only in morale, but also in staff and patient safety. She has worked tirelessly to make sure staffing is abundant and that we have the resources available if not. She is not afraid to step up and jump into the charge role, help with the PACU flow or transporting a patient to their room. When you don't see Anup out on the unit, she is working diligently on many system improvements to help better the flow of first cases into the OR, the to follow OR cases, turnaround times, stagger start times, and many more. She collaborates with many different units within our division and has the respect of her peers.

I never wanted to be a Nurse Leader in any capacity. A year and a half ago, Anup came up to me while in staffing and asked if I ever wanted to be in leadership. I never thought I would have grown so much as a nurse, a leader, and a person from that point forward. One of Anup's strengths is her ability to hold people accountable for their actions and to have tough conversations. Through watching her and being trained through her, I feel that my communication skills have grown in my professional career and also my personal life. She is firm but fair. I have also witnessed Anup go above and beyond to help staff members improve their performance when it was in jeopardy. She doesn't hesitate to bring someone to her office to hear their side of the story, their concerns and to work diligently to with that person to come up with a plan.

Something that I admire about Anup is her ability to hold the staff accountable and to hold the standards of the care we give to our patients to the highest. As a leadership team, we run audits weekly for pain, falls, BCMA, chart audits, pre-op documenting, control checks, and MIDAS. From these findings, we hold conversations with staff in real time about performance. This is all from Anup, who wants to achieve the greatest level of care and performance we can give our patients. In 10 years, I have never worked for a manager that cares to this level and holds their staff accountable. I truly believe that because of this, Anup's staff sees her with respect and authority. They also know that she wants what is best for them and the patients we care for. Anup will always stand up for her staff if they are wronged and doesn't flinch at a conflict if it needs to be addressed, especially from other disciplines. This is one of many reasons why I feel staff are never afraid to go to her for help and counsel.

Something our leadership team does on a week to week basis is to ensure that our staff feel recognized and appreciated. Anup is fantastic at making sure recognitions go into our weekly updates, staff are receiving well-deserved Paws Up Points, and we celebrate every win with a potluck, cupcakes, or pizza. Anup ensures that during nurses’ week and peri anesthesia week, there are celebrations all week, not only for day shift, but makes special accommodations for night shift to have their celebrations as well. Coming from an outside institution that lacked appreciation for their staff, I was blown away by the amount of recognition and thought Anup had put into ensuring her staff felt appreciated.

If you ask Anup what one of her biggest points of pride in Main Peri Anesthesia is, it is the creation of our diversity council. Anup is passionate about diversity and making sure everyone feels safe and has a sense of belonging in our unit. She has a team of nurses who create a diversity newsletter that goes out quarterly and a diversity board that is updated close to monthly. The topics change from month to month to provide education and insight to our nurses and to open the discussion for topics we may feel uncomfortable starting. These resources have helped to make our staff see topics in a different light and to encourage learning and community.

These are only a few examples of why I feel like Anup should be receiving the DAISY Nurse Leader Award. Anup is a leader who works day in and day out to make Main Peri Anesthesia a better place. It is no wonder that we have minimal vacancies as a unit and that our open positions have five or more applicants with each posting. It is no secret that we have a great nurse leader, and people want to come and work for Anup.

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I am pleased to nominate Anup Sidhu for The DAISY Nurse Leader Award. I worked under Anup and served as her Assistant Nurse Manager in Adult Perianesthesia for two years before my promotion to Nurse Manager in Pediatric Perianesthesia. Because of Anup and her mentorship, I am in the position I am in today. Throughout my time working with her, she has consistently exemplified the criteria set forth for this award.

One of the most impactful ways Anup has mentored me is through her accessibility and responsiveness to her team's needs. She is always available to listen and provide guidance and support, making herself a true advocate for those under her leadership.

Anup has cultivated an environment where trust, compassion, mutual respect, and ethical behavior thrive. She actively models and supports these values, fostering a culture of professional development. Her encouragement for continuous growth and improvement in our practice has been invaluable. Anup's problem-solving skills and her promotion of critical thinking among her team members have been instrumental in our development and strengthening of these skills.

Anup's most remarkable trait is her unwavering advocacy for her team. She ensures that their needs and concerns are effectively communicated to organizational leadership, demonstrating her commitment to their well-being and success. Equally, she ensures that organizational priorities and directives are clearly communicated to her team, fostering alignment and understanding at all levels.

Anup has profoundly impacted my development as a leader and has truly embodied the qualities of an exceptional nurse leader. I wholeheartedly believe she deserves to be recognized for her outstanding leadership and unwavering dedication to her team.

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Anup is not only an incredible manager, but her guidance to me as my unofficial mentor is beyond compare. She was taught the wisdom of leadership by the legendary Jodi Yocum (Nurse manager of ED OBS), whose standards consist of practicing what you preach, advocating for your employees, and protecting the patients we serve. Anup took every lesson learned and amplified it.

She advocates for the rights of her nurses every day, which ultimately improves the experiences and safety of all of our patients. She also creates a culture of mutual respect, safety, and unity among nurses, providers, and leadership. She is available for her staff when they need her, and new processes are never a surprise to us as she values transparency.

For her and her leadership team, it is not about surviving, and just getting the job done at all costs. When our leadership team deploys us to "fight fires" on the unit, it is methodical, fair, collaborative, and the asks are reasonable. I know this is because they are reflecting her leadership style.

I worked with Anup as a PCA in the emergency department for quite a few years before she went to Peri-Anesthesia. Once I transitioned to a Graduate Nurse in the ED, I was having a very difficult time adjusting. She took a huge leap of faith and advocated persistently to get the OK from HR and the CNO to allow my transfer to peri-anesthesia. I was close to leaving the institution altogether, but she knew the talent PSH would lose if I left. Many people were skeptical that I would "work out" since I was a newer nurse. She took a chance on me, and I haven't let her down.

Since coming to peri-anesthesia, Anup created a diversity committee after seeing the positive impact of having one in the ED. She maintains a zero-tolerance perspective when it comes to discrimination in the workplace and requires all who report to her must uphold the same standard.

Anup embodies all the qualities of a phenomenal nurse leader, and she is compassionate, diplomatic, professional, strong, and willing to listen and learn. She deserves this award indisputably.

Note: This is Anup's 2nd DAISY Award!