As a NICU nurse for almost 20 years, Emily has amassed vast amounts of clinical knowledge and expertise that she uses to care for patients and families and to educate her peers at all levels of their nursing career. We care for an extremely vulnerable patient population in the NICU, and I know Emily to be first and foremost a voice for her patients. She practices family-integrated care to develop trust with her patients and families, and she interacts effectively with the interprofessional team to advocate for her patients' needs and advance the patients' plan of care. Emily is extremely caring and compassionate and has a special interest in neurodevelopmental care for premature neonates.

Recently, a patient was admitted to the NICU due to extreme prematurity at 25 weeks of gestation with a projected NICU length of stay of 3-4 months. When I first rounded with this family and asked who had gone above and beyond to ensure a positive family experience in the NICU, they immediately responded, "Emily." They had observed her expert care, but mostly her compassion, and stated that they felt at ease when they were away from the bedside and Emily was caring for their daughter because they were so confident in the care Emily was providing.

A week or so later, they asked for assistance with securing Emily as one of their daughter's primary care nurses. In the NICU, primary care nursing means that a nurse will care for the same patient every shift that they work for the duration of the patient's hospitalization to promote consistency of care and optimal patient outcomes. Emily agreed to be on this patient's primary care team and cared for the patient for four months through the typical myriad of setbacks and progress that extremely low birthweight neonates experience. Emily was also able to recognize that the patient's parents were experiencing significant stress and anxiety related to their daughter's hospitalization and prognosis, and was able to work with the interprofessional team to connect the family with support resources through the Family Development Program. Using a trauma-informed care approach, Emily was able to establish a therapeutic relationship with the patient's parents and encourage them to take steps to strengthen and preserve their mental and emotional health and well-being to more successfully navigate their daughter's hospitalization.

Prior to discharge, the patient's mother again expressed to me her gratitude for Emily and the difference she made in their experience. Emily is also frequently mentioned by name on the NICU patient experience survey, with a family recently writing, "Nurses were phenomenal, not only in their care but in teaching us everything about our baby. We loved Emily!"

Emily is an unsung hero who has provided exceptional care in the NICU at UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica, over a long period of time. Thank you for your consideration of recognizing her work with a DAISY Award!