It was a very busy evening on the weekend. There were numerous call outs, because an intestinal virus had hit many staff members. The Pediatrics nurse became sick during her shift and was unable to complete it. Her backup from 3 West did not feel experienced enough to take on a Pediatrics assignment.

A call was placed to the Emergency Department to see if a nurse could take care of patients on the Pediatrics unit for four-to-six hours. Laura Matthews did not want to see her co-workers go short, so she stayed an additional five-to-six hours over her already 12-hour shift. She helped the Emergency Department and also made sure that Pediatrics had sufficient coverage so their sick nurse could go home.

This is just one of the many examples why I am proud to call Emergency Department nurse, Laura Matthews, a co-worker. She exemplifies what I think is one of the best nursing staffs in the hospital.