Danan is everything I aspire to be in a nurse. She is both a pinnacle in this community and to her friends and family. She maintains a balance in her life that allows her to be an exceptional nurse. Ever since starting as a new nurse on my floor last year, Danan has aided and guided me time and time again. I have witnessed her advocate for patients, to both nurses and doctors. I have seen her advocate for new nurses to leadership and physicians. She is not afraid to stand up for the little guy, and will do it with kindness.

One instance that really set her apart for me was when I watched her have a hard conversation with a patient who recurrently came to the floor for issues with addiction. She had established a relationship with this patient over time, and he trusted her. She sat down with him and explained how his relationship with pain medications was unsustainable and harming him. She spoke kindly and with compassion, and I witnessed him hear her words, and they impacted him. She wrote on paper the things they discussed as he mentioned he often forgot certain education regarding his medication. I was so inspired watching her help this man, and it made me a better nurse, understanding how I could one day have the same impact she did at that moment.

She was there to comfort me after I lost my first patient and there to encourage me now as I am starting to take leadership roles. She is constantly teaching new generations of nurses her wisdom and leaving an impact that will last long after she is gone. Even with her years of experience, she still loves to care for patients and insists she belongs at the bedside, doing what she loves. She was made for it. In a world of healthcare that is often hard and weary, I am inspired to be a better nurse and a better person because I had the privilege of meeting and working alongside Danan.