It is with great admiration and respect that I nominate Grace, Senior Staff RN, for the DAISY Award. Grace is an exceptional nurse whose dedication to patient care, teamwork, and respect exemplifies the highest standards of nursing practice. Grace consistently goes above and beyond for her colleagues, always mindful of their needs. When breaking down the team for the night shift, she thoughtfully considers the workload distribution, especially for those who may be working consecutive shifts or showing signs of physical or mental fatigue. She has an incredible ability to notice when someone is struggling and will step in to offer support to prevent her coworkers from feeling overwhelmed or burnt out. To care is to notice. Grace has stepped in to support me many times before, even when I was unaware of how frazzled I had become during a shift. She has always been my dependable colleague and friend at work whenever I needed someone to bounce ideas off of, to help with critical tasks, or to share in a moment of levity between work. This level of care for her team speaks volumes about her leadership.

Grace is guided by an unwavering moral compass and is always a voice for what is right and fair. She is unafraid to speak up, whether to a new team member or an attending physician, to reinforce the NYP Respect Credo. One time, when a surgical resident had expressed disappointment with one of the novice RNs over a patient complication, Grace intervened and asked what the nursing staff could do better in an effort to obtain actionable feedback rather than apply blame. Grace’s advocacy for professionalism creates a safe and inclusive environment where everyone feels valued, heard, and empowered to improve care.

Another one of Grace's most admirable qualities is her unshakable belief in the inherent goodness of others. I have never seen Grace judge a colleague or patient; instead, she approaches every situation with curiosity, seeking to understand their perspectives and experiences. On a unit that is often fraught with overwhelming demands and staff members' emotions are high, Grace is the model of calm and clear-headedness, demonstrating to the many novice nurses on the unit how to be resilient under pressure. The higher the stakes, the more Grace leans into compassion and collaboration.

In every aspect of her work, Grace embodies the values that define an exceptional nurse: compassion, integrity, respect, and unwavering dedication to her patients and colleagues. She has had a profound impact on me, and her ability to balance professionalism with empathy makes her a beloved and trusted member of the team. For all these reasons, I can think of no one more deserving of the DAISY Award than Grace. She truly makes a difference in the lives of her coworkers, patients, and everyone she interacts with.