I have had the pleasure to work alongside Christie Sapak for the last three years, including her being one of my preceptors when I was a new hire in the operating room. Christie treats every patient as if they were her own family member. This is evident in every patient encounter Christie is a part of. When she initially meets her patient and their family in the preop area, she immediately makes a connection with her warm, inviting, calming, and charismatic attitude. She embodies holistic patient and family-centered care. She cares for every patient she comes in contact with at the highest level of excellence. She has the largest, warmest heart and excels at meeting varying patient needs to bring them comfort through her compassion. She enjoys and is passionate about her career as an OR RN. This passion shines through constantly and is tangible by everyone around her. Her patients and their families incessantly relay their gratitude for her impeccable care. Watching her interact with her patients and coworkers is inspiring. She exceeds the standard of nursing care and creates a new benchmark of nursing excellence. On top of outstanding patient care, Christie is also an asset to her unit. You will always find Christie helping her teammates even with a full assignment, filling staffing voids, and being flexible and trustworthy. She has a genuine desire to assist others and is considered a mentor in the orthopedic service. Special Connection: Christie exemplifies the highest level of compassion for her patients and their families. You will always find Christie in preop with an extremely friendly and positive attitude. She is able to make a strong connection with her patient and their family in a short period of time because of her kind, inviting demeanor. It is evident that Christie strives to create a supportive, healing environment for each of her patients and their families. You will frequently find Christie using her allotted break time to go over to the surgical family waiting area to speak to her patients' families and provide an in-person update on how their loved one's procedure is progressing. She recently had a patient family member who was so thrilled to get an in-person update from her that they shed tears of joy, gave her a hug, and told her they considered her part of their family. She truly takes the time to make a strong, caring connection with every patient and family she meets. Significant Difference: Christie mainly works in orthopedic surgery. She recently had a patient with a cobalt chrome allergy. She was relieving a nurse who was about to bring the patient into the operating room. Christie stopped the line and provided a crosscheck to the surgeon and medical vendor to determine if the planned surgical implant for surgery contained cobalt chrome. Once the information was obtained, a safe implant was secured, and the patient was able to be brought into surgery. In the middle of the operation, the surgeon inquired about changing the plan to a different implant option. Christie then provided another crosscheck to the surgical team regarding the patient's allergy, who were grateful for her attention to detail. The medical vendor researched the new implant option, which ended up being positive for containing cobalt chrome. Together the surgical team secured a plan and surgical implant to provide the best and safest option for the patient. Christie is a strong patient advocate, and this is just one recent example that exemplifies how she holds patient safety to the highest level of importance. She is a true role model for exemplary practice and always maintains a safe environment for her patients. She is constantly recognized by management, surgeons, surgical techs, residents, and anesthesia staff for her preparedness and attention to detail. This creates a meaningful positive impact on patient care and improves patient outcomes. Christie's passion for patient safety is infectious. She empowers and encourages her coworkers to perform at the highest level.