Deborah has been an essential member of our team for the very important role she plays in fostering our welcoming and supportive culture. During our downtime everyone was frustrated and stressed and she was able to have the MOST patience I have ever seen. When some employees were visibly distraught, she was there to give kindness and empathy to all the staff and was able to calm everyone. Every day, she came in knowing her stress level would be extreme, but that never stopped her from supporting us or showing kindness. You can always rely on her and go to her with any issue. Her door is, like she says, "always open."

Being accessible, available, and responsive to the needs of their team.
Deborah is not only always available for her staff when she is on and off the unit, but she is always anticipating our needs. When the unit is having a hard day, she calls for the care cart for us or hands out candy to give us all a brief pause for a serotonin boost. On the night shift, you can send a message to her or post it on our unit's WhatsApp, and she is always quick to respond. Even when she couldn't text, she called me to give answers to my questions.

Problem-solving and encouraging critical thinking.
Deborah anticipates problems and addresses them quickly. She can identify issues on the unit before anyone is aware and always makes sure we run efficiently and safely. She presents ideas for solutions and consults with all the unit staff for solutions and problem-solving. She always asks for our input and opinions on the solutions she proposes.

Advocating for their teams.
Deb attends every shared governance meeting to ensure our concerns are heard and addressed. She is always checking in on us and asking what's going well and what isn't, and she is always offering to talk with our manager. She makes sure important messages are being communicated throughout the entire team. During downtime, I was charge nurse and noticed a few staff members were visibly frustrated, and their behaviors were affecting not only me but also other staff members. She was ready to step in and de-escalate. She stayed calm and collected and provided empathy and kindness to this staff to ensure we all felt heard and safe working in this stressful environment. She has also advocated for all nursing as a whole by bringing concerns to me, the PNC rep, to discuss hospital-wide practices such as flushing bags after IV medications.

Ensuring that the needs of the teams are communicated to organization leadership and organizational priorities and directions are communicated to their teams.
Deborah always sends out important information from all organizations, including Ascension National. She shares information on all of our platforms to make sure we operate with the most current best practices and information. She also shares our needs with these organizations and committees throughout the hospital as well. During downtime, she brought our needs to their meetings to discuss, and as mentioned above, she has also shared the needs of nursing with PNC.

Being compassionate leaders.
Not only does Deb advocate for us, but she is always ready to share her empathetic ear and voice. She is always here to remind us that the compassionate care we provide to our patients is what we share and provide with each other. She is always ready to call for the care cart or provide sweet treats for us. She also shares so many laughs with us during stressful times and makes sure we can share at least one moment of laughter or goodness for our day.

Additional Comments:
Deb on behalf of the staff in pediatrics we want you to know we see you and we appreciate every ounce of effort you put into us and the unit to make sure we have a safe and welcoming working environment. We see your early mornings and late nights here giving everything you have. We know it can't be easy but I'm hoping this nomination motivates you to keep going because we love you and all that you do here! You are an ESSENTIAL team member.