Katie is an extraordinary nurse. I cannot recall the countless times that she has gone above and beyond for our transplant patients. Families consistently tell me how much they feel cared for while she is assigned to them. We have a lot of sick patients, and she has an uncanny ability to develop a relationship with patients and their families to help the patients stay motivated during their tumultuous journey with their new organ. As a charge nurse, she also shows leadership and is willing to go above and beyond. She can look at the larger picture and help with thinking outside the box to help strategize to change the trajectory of our struggling patients. Overall when I think of nursing excellence, without a doubt, Katiria Alicea definitely comes to mind.

P.S. It is hard to nominate someone from 6C because of all the great nurses that work on that floor, which likely stems from great leadership, which Kaite does play a role in, as well as excellent nursing supervision and management.