I have been a nurse for over 22 years, and during that time, I have worked alongside many good nurses, some great nurses, and a very small number who truly redefine what nursing looks like in real life. I will be honest, this is the first time in my entire career that I have nominated a coworker for a major Award like this. That alone speaks to how meaningful this is to me. I do not take this lightly. I am doing this because Julie Smith is not just a good nurse; she is exceptional.

Julie has been a nurse at The Ohio State University since 1999, and her decades of experience show in everything she does. Her clinical judgment, leadership, and calm presence come from years of dedication, but what makes her truly special is that she has never lost her compassion or willingness to do the hard, unseen work that keeps a unit running safely and effectively.

Julie stands out in a way that is impossible to ignore. She is everything you hope a nurse will be when you walk into a hospital as a patient, a family member, or even as a fellow nurse. She is caring, dependable, compassionate, proactive, and endlessly giving. She is, quite simply, a super nurse among super nurses.
There is a noticeable difference on our unit when Julie is not working. When she is on vacation or has a day off, one of the first questions people ask when they walk in is, “Where’s Julie?” When they hear she is not there, you can literally feel the mood change, because everyone knows the unit will not run the same without her. That is the level of trust, safety, and stability she brings.

When Julie is working, our unit is safer. We consistently have no patient falls because Julie is constantly walking the unit, quietly removing objects from the floor, wiping up liquids, adjusting the environment, and addressing hazards before they ever become incidents. These actions are not assigned to her; she simply does them because patient safety matters to her.

We also experience no restraints or seclusion when Julie is on the unit. Her de-escalation techniques are remarkably effective; calm, respectful, therapeutic, and timely. She intervenes early, speaks to patients with dignity, and almost always diffuses situations quickly before they escalate. Patients and family often ask, “Please, can I talk to Julie?” because they trust her for therapeutic listening and grounding conversations. Her presence alone often changes the trajectory of a difficult moment.

One particular experience captures the depth of Julie’s extraordinary caring. We had a patient who had been admitted after a severe psychiatric crisis. 
He was frightened, withdrawn, and distrustful of staff. His mother visited daily during Harding's visit hours, carrying an overwhelming sense of guilt and fear that she had somehow failed him. The tension in the room was palpable; both mother and son were emotionally exhausted and barely speaking to each other. Julie noticed immediately that this was more than a clinical situation; it was a family in pain. Instead of rushing through tasks, Julie pulled up a chair and sat with them. She gently facilitated a conversation between mother and son, allowing each to speak without interruption. She validated the patient’s feelings without judgment and reassured the mother that seeking help was an act of love, not failure. She later took time, well beyond what was required, to educate the mother about the treatment plan, warning signs, coping strategies, and community resources. She even wrote down key points so the mother would not feel overwhelmed trying to remember everything.

Over the next few days, Julie consistently checked in with both of them. She encouraged the patient to identify grounding techniques and practiced them with him. She reassured the mother during phone calls after visiting hours when anxiety would spike at home. Slowly, we watched a transformation occur. The patient became more cooperative and engaged in therapy groups. The mother’s posture changed; she stood straighter, spoke with more confidence, and began to express hope instead of fear. On the day of discharge, the mother hugged Julie with tears in her eyes and said, “You didn’t just take care of my son. You took care of me, too. You helped us find each other again.”

The impact of that connection extended far beyond that admission. The patient left with trust in the healthcare system restored. The mother left empowered rather than ashamed. Their engagement in follow-up care was strong because Julie had built a foundation of safety and understanding. That is the kind of ripple effect Julie creates, healing that goes beyond the chart, beyond the shift, and beyond the hospital walls.

Julie does not limit herself to a job description. She does whatever needs to be done, without hesitation and without complaint. I have personally watched her step in to shower patients when staffing was tight, run to the main house to obtain urgently needed supplies or medications so patient care would not be delayed, and cover sitters so they could take much-needed breaks. When we are short a nurse or a tech, Julie fills that role seamlessly. During snack time, vital signs, linen changes, and answering phones, Julie is everywhere at once. When the UCA is unavailable, Julie becomes the UCA. If something spills, she becomes the Housekeeper and cleans it up herself. There is truly no role she considers “beneath her.”

Julie is also incredibly organized and forward-thinking. Nutrition supplies are always well-stocked and well-managed when she is on duty. Unit equipment is cared for, tracked, and functional. We rarely experience complaints from patients or families - not because problems don’t arise, but because Julie often anticipates issues before they happen and resolves them quietly in advance.

Her leadership extends beyond our unit. Julie willingly gives up staff to other units when there are staffing shortages, even when it makes her own shift more challenging. She adjusts her own breaks to suit the needs of the unit and patient care, putting others first without ever seeking recognition.