In January, my mom was a patient at Carilion Clinic in the ICU and the neurology unit. We were very blessed to have so many wonderful nurses take care of her and us. However, there was one nurse who really stood out in my mom's care. Her name is Kristen Mills. Not only did Kristen's clinical skills impress us, it was her overall "nursing" skills. When a patient is in ICU, obviously the main priority is making sure that all of the physical needs are addressed. Kristen not only provided the physical things that my mom needed to heal, but she took the time to nurture the emotional needs as well. My mom's illness has been very challenging and having to go back to the ICU was scary. I believe that having the ability to express those fears and ask questions is a huge part of the healing process. Kristen took the time to listen to my mom. She not only addressed her questions, but she waited while Mom talked about some of her life experiences. This was so helpful to make my mom more relaxed and reassured about her situation. The two of them even talked about some of Mom's future plans and dreams. I cannot put into words how much this helped my mom. Thankfully, after a few days, Mom was better and was transferred to the neurology unit. Kristen even came over on her lunch break one day to check on my mom before she was discharged. Mom has been home now for several weeks and continues the healing process. I don't know if she will ever "jump out of a plane" like she and Kristen laughed and dreamed about, but Kristen surely inspired her to go to new heights! Although I can surely say, I hope we never need to come back to the ICU, I can also say that when we were there, Kristen helped us to look beyond the situation at hand and see a path to healing and getting better!