I have had the pleasure of working with Julia in different capacities. As the oncology program grew and we began case management rounds seven days a week, Julia was always a person who would step up and help. As I worked one Saturday, I saw a side of Julia that exemplified the values that represent the DAISY Award.

After rounds, Julia approached me about a patient on her unit who was insisting on leaving against medical advice (AMA). The patient was being ruled out for a spinal cord compression, and Julia realized that leaving against AMA certainly was not in her best interest. We soon realized that the patient suffered from extreme claustrophobia.

In addition to many systems issues that impacted the care of this patient, both she and her husband needed much attention. Julia was extremely compassionate and broke down barriers that appeared to complicate her care including ensuring that appropriate consultations were completed in a timely manner. The end result was that Julia went to the MRI with the patient to comfort her. As oncology is a new specialty in Julia's unit, she not only went above and beyond, but also embodied the attributes of a true "oncology" nurse. On multiple occasions the patient's husband shared with me how special Julia was!