From the day Kelcy began working as a nurse on 7E, she has been a positive presence on our unit. At that time Kelcy was a brand new nurse and she always came in with a positive attitude. On a unit where most of us started out inexperienced, we have gained confidence and grown together. Kelcy has played a large part in building confidence in all of the new nurses. She is constantly pointing out each nurse's strengths. She can quickly recognize when a coworker is in need and is always the first to help. Kelcy doesn't just support her coworkers at work. When she notices that a coworker has had a bad shift, she sends them a message on Facebook or by text after work to check on them. Recently, when a fellow coworker was going through a hard time, she tried to cheer her up by asking her about things she enjoys. Then she surprised her with a care package filled with her favorite goodies to lift her spirits. There have been many occasions she has sat with nurses when they have cried, sent emails to managers to recognize individuals and sought out opportunities to create a cohesive working environment. Kelcy promotes positivity on our unit and is constantly praising her coworker's strength; making 7 east a better place to work.

Aside from all the contributions she makes to the unit, she goes above and beyond to help her patients and the patients of her fellow coworkers. An example of this is a time when Kelcy assisted another nurse's patient with expressive aphasia. This particular patient had become very upset and tearful after unsuccessfully attempting to discuss their care with the physician during morning rounds. After the physicians had moved onto another room, Kelcy saw how distraught the patient was and went to console them. After discovering why the patient was upset, Kelcy spent the rest of her busy morning sitting with the patient and assisting her in writing down her questions for the physicians.

It takes a good nurse to constantly go above and beyond for their own patients, but it takes a great nurse to have the kind of dedication that Kelcy displays. Whether it be compassion for her coworkers, encouraging others to be their best, advocating for her own patient's daily, or taking time to assist other patient's on our unit; Kelcy is a role model for other nurses and an invaluable asset to the field of nursing. We are honored to work beside her.