When a nurse has a special impact on your life, it is hard to find the right words to precisely convey your appreciation of them. Hallie from CC had such an effect during my mother's last hospitalization. Although she is very early on in her nursing career, she has a keen understanding of the complexity of both the medical and emotional needs of the elderly and their families, especially during a stressful hospitalization when the patient is most vulnerable. Despite a stressful hospitalization where my 90-year-old mother was in Atrial Fibrillation x 5 days, having chest pain, having dialysis, and hearing about an abnormal stress test, Hallie had nothing but a kind, caring, positive attitude, and an awareness and understanding of my mother's apprehensiveness that put her and my family at ease. We have a very large family, and at any given time, we had multiple family members (a couple who are in the medical field) asking questions and requesting updates on the plan of care. If she did not have all the answers, she did not shy away, but rather, she made every effort to seek out resources and speak to our concerns. My family could see that Hallie had a busy shift, but she took the extra time and effort to keep us informed and tend to my mother's multiple needs--pain management, questions and concerns about procedures and results, respiratory issues, and overall comfort. She was also very good at checking back frequently to see if my mother had any additional needs or concerns.

I recommend Hallie for the DAISY Award. She was always confident and calming and always had an encouraging voice and a pleasant demeanor. At a time when my mother was very scared and vulnerable, Hallie created a relationship with my mother rooted in trust amidst a scary hospitalization. She not only cared "for" my mother, but she cared "about" my mother. Hallie truly embodies the spirit of nursing in a special way.