As the surgery time approached I became more and more nervous. I started crying as I left my family. Kristy Lobbes was my surgical nurse. When we got into the surgery room she laid her head down next to mine and stroked my head and was telling me everything was going to be OK as they were getting the mask. She even made me laugh, saying the mask smells like a beach ball. That meant so much to me. She didn't have to do that and yet she did. Amazing. I will never forget that.

Nurses form caring relationships with their patients wherever they are, whether on an inpatient unit, in a clinic setting, or in an operating room (OR) suite. When Kristy received this honor she said, "Saint Mary's is where God led me. This is where I'm supposed to be."