We had one of the busiest nights I've seen in my time in the ER at MercyOne. At midnight, every room was full, and there were eight people waiting to be seen in the waiting room. With nursing shortages, we were only scheduled to have three nurses care for these 23 patients. Without batting an eye, Ellen stayed four hours over her shift to help her fellow nurses and physicians carry on medical care into what would be an endless night for our department. It was an act of altruism like none other. Ellen has been the spirit and backbone of the emergency department this past year. Like many departments, the emergency department has seen a spike in the number of patients and acuity over the past eight months. This has been compounded by a nursing shortage that is felt on an almost daily basis. Ellen has picked up extra shifts to help out our department more than most people would think feasible. She is also showing up to every shift with a positive attitude and a smile that is somehow more contagious than the virus we have been fighting. Ellen continues to be an outstanding nurse and an inspiration to the medical community.