Cassandra came to us as a new graduate, this being her first nursing opportunity. During the interview process, she was not hesitant to express that she was a new graduate and had experienced some difficulties obtaining employment due to this. She stressed that she was a quick learner, was eager to begin work and would be very thankful for an opportunity to begin her nursing career with us. Impressed with her interview and her desire to begin her nursing career, we offered her a full time position on our unit. During her orientation period, Cassandra received constant praise about her progress and knowledge base by her preceptor. At the same time received many compliments from the physicians about her assessment skills, critical thinking skills, communication and interventions. In our facility, praise from physicians is hard to come by as they focus more on nursing flaws rather than their strengths.

I am honored to nominate Cassandra for this award as there are many qualities in her work performance that are outstanding during her short time with us. She demonstrates a broad knowledge base in nursing quickly identifies any changes in patient condition and intervenes accordingly. She shows true concern and is genuine with her patients. She is very organized and efficient with her work. She is very dependable. She has a calm demeanor and takes the extral time that patients need to feel like they are "special". She effectively addresses and concerns directly with her coworkers as they may arise.