When I was first admitted, I was terrified. I had never been admitted before, and my family lives over eight hours away. I was sick, in a lot of pain, scared, and lonely. However, Ghia Gutierrez was my nurse, and she made my stay a million times better.

Ghia went above and beyond, and as a result, my homesickness started to fade. I knew that I was safe and in good hands. Ghia would explain what was going on in a manner that I could understand and would always be there to answer any questions that I had.

Ghia treated me like a person, not just a patient. She would joke around with me, listen to my concerns without judgment, and encourage me to press the Call Nurse button at any time. She was able to quickly identify my fear of pressing the button without me having to say anything. Because of her, I felt comfortable asking for help and began pressing the Call Nurse button when needed.

Ghia was so knowledgeable, and I knew that if anything were to happen, she would be on it and know exactly what to do. Ghia was also very kind and helpful toward her coworkers. When she had a nurse shadowing her, she did a great job of teaching and lifting them up. You could tell that she loved her job and wanted to share her passion with others.

Ghia treated everyone with kindness and respect, whether they were patients, guests, or coworkers. That's when I knew I had a nurse who was more than deserving of a DAISY Award.

She was empathetic, helpful, observant, intelligent, and kind during my stay. My entire care team and the staff were all amazing and kind, but Ghia went the extra mile and helped me tremendously through one of the scariest and loneliest times of my life.

I don't have the words to express how incredibly grateful I am and how lucky I was to have Ghia as my nurse. If it had not been for Ghia, I wouldn't have advocated for myself or felt comfortable sharing some of the embarrassing (but necessary) aspects that come with being in the hospital.

I can only assume that Ghia was very busy, but I never would have known. She took the time to speak with me, check in on me, bring me water, and explain what was happening. Ghia did not just help with my physical ailments; she also helped me mentally and emotionally.

I cannot thank her enough for all the hard work she put in to help me feel better.