When looking at the definition of a nurse, there cannot be a single sentence or single definition of what encompasses the role and profession of a nurse. Many have made attempts to summarize this definition but take into consideration Florence Nightingale’s interpretation as the “act of utilizing the environment of the patient to assist him in his recovery.”

Now, imagine being a recent immigrant to the United States of America, knowing minimal English, and further, being hospitalized with a grave and complicated medical diagnosis. Words cannot express the many unknowns and fears that a patient in this position would experience. Insert this situation into a fast-paced and post-pandemic health system with a national nursing shortage. New nurses entering healthcare, at this point, have to adapt to learning from peers who have less than two years of experience themselves, increased patient acuity, and minimal staffing requirements. These new nurses are working on growing their time management skills and sometimes prioritize physical safe care of the patient, and building relationships with the patient develops as experience is gained.

This is not the case for Brie Baudier, who has defied the current progression of a new nurse in major healthcare systems. With natural empathy, Brie always makes meaningful connections with her patients and cares for every patient as if they were her own family members. She takes time to establish trust with her patients and provide support for them as a whole person, not just a patient. Even though she is new, Brie established this trust when caring for a patient in the earlier described situation. This patient had been in the hospital for a week, running through the various diagnostic tests to determine the cause of his ailments. Recognizing that the patient did not speak English, she saw that everything in his room was written in English. She says, “He can’t even use that whiteboard he stares at all day! He doesn’t know what it says!” She went above and beyond to improve and rectify this patient’s environment so that it would be more familiar to him.

Utilizing our language line, she changed the infamous whiteboard from English to Spanish. Every word was translated into Spanish, and she wrote the patient’s plan in Spanish. Further, she clearly communicated and wrote daily plans, symptoms to notify her of, and what side effects the different medications could have on him on the whiteboard, all in Spanish. Brie led the way for her peers to also utilize writing in Spanish to help keep the patient participating and engaged in his care. Since doing this, her patient, who used to be very quiet and did not communicate frequently, was empowered to ask questions regarding his care and identify complications quickly. Taking the time to adjust this patient’s environment improved his quality of life and outlook on his care. Brie’s supportive and empathetic care is invaluable to her team and to the profession of nursing. No doubt, it has an immeasurable effect on her patients. She provides that high standard and quality of care that many take years of experience to develop. She has a true and natural nursing heart that is to be recognized.