As nurses, we are known for our care and compassion. For Ashley to choose nursing as her career, it could not have been a more perfect definition. Ashley is often recognized by her peers, patients, and physicians for being an incredible, compassionate, and kind nurse. She provides individualized care and always has a positive attitude. She always enters her patient's room with a great smile on her face.

Although Ashley is frequently recognized for the outstanding care that she provides, there is one patient in particular that stands out. PSU5 had a patient that we all came to love. Ashley, however, did great extraordinary things in order to provide not only proper care physically, but emotionally as well. The patient, K, stayed on our unit for many days. Her disease process made it very difficult to determine whether she would ever be able to be discharged home. All of the staff on PSU5 got to know K very well. She became a part of the PSU5 family. She loved everyone, but developed a very special bond with one nurse in particular, Ashley. Ashley and K had a lot in common and bonded from the first moment that they met. K confided in Ashley that she had a daughter that she had raised independently and that they were very close. K had expressed many times how proud she was of her daughter as she would be graduating from pharmacy school the following week. When she spoke of her daughter, K's eyes would light up. She also expressed multiple times that she had one goal: to be able to go home and attend her daughter's graduation ceremony.

The amazing and compassionate nurse that Ashley is, she immediately sprang into action. She first contacted the physicians to determine if K could be safely discharged home. When the physicians approved, Ashley was immediately on the phone with social workers and case managers. When the social worker and case manager were on the floor, she was immediately on their heels asking what she needed to provide them with in order for K to be able to go home. Whatever they told her that they needed, you can bet that Ashley already had everything taken care of.

K and Ashley had grown very close over the weeks that she was on our unit. K loved Ashley and said that she felt like she was now a second daughter to her. The last day Ashley was working that week, K was unable to go home. There was one more barrier that needed to be established that could not be dealt with until the following day. In the event that K was not going to be able to go home and attend her daughter's graduation ceremony, Ashley and all of PSU5 had plans in place to host a graduation party and set up a flat-screen TV in order to live-stream her daughter's ceremony into her room. However, this was not necessary as Ashley went above and beyond to ensure that K got the wheelchair and home oxygen that she needed and would have them all delivered to her the next day. Ashley decided to pick up an extra shift that next day in order to keep her promise to K. She had even jokingly stated that "K will go home even if I have to give her a ride home. She will leave here with me tomorrow!" When she arrived to work at 0700, Ashley immediately got to work finishing what she had started the day before. As soon our care manager was on the unit, she boldly stated "K is going home today, what else can I do to help?" When Ashley got word that K would be able to be successfully discharged, Ashley immediately went to the gift shop to plan a nice send-off for her. She did not just get any gift, but she gave K an "Angel of Hope" statue. She gave her patient hope and made her dreams of getting home in time to see her daughter graduate a reality.

As K was done changing, Ashley and the entire PSU5 nursing staff surprised her with her a signed card, gift, and balloons. The look on her patient's face was priceless. She was completely overwhelmed with emotions that she could not even face us. With her head down and tears streaming down her face, she thanked the nurses for the great care that she received. She stated that she will read the card that was given to her in private. K then thanked all of the nursing staff, saying that we provided the best care she has ever received. She stated that everyone on PSU5 became like a little family to her. K said that although she loved everyone, it was "My Ashley" who truly made her dreams come true. Little did Ashley know, one of our ACMs had talked with K. It was a simple rounding on our patients that turned into a wonderful declaration of Ashley by K. She states:

"Please recognize Ashley. All of the nurses and nursing assistants are wonderful, but Ashley is my absolute favorite. She is like a second daughter to me. She reminds of my own daughter who is graduating. I know that Ashley is close to her mom and I believe that's how we bonded that way. For her to come in on her scheduled day off just to make sure that everything was taken care of for me, it means the world to me. Ashley is truly an angel put here on this earth. I believe that our paths were meant to cross. She is an amazing nurse and I will remember her always."