During my hospital stay, I experienced a severe mental health crisis. For my own safety and the safety of staff, I was restrained for a significant period of time. While this situation was understandably difficult for everyone involved, Lee Ann entered my room and approached me in a markedly different way. She spoke to me calmly and gently, reassured me that I would be okay, and treated me with dignity at a moment when I felt anything but human.

Because of her calm presence and her willingness to truly engage with me, I was eventually able to de-escalate. After I had calmed down, Lee Ann decided to release the restraints. That act alone required professional judgment, confidence, and compassion — but what followed meant even more to me.

After that incident, Lee Ann made it a point to check on me regularly, whether or not she was assigned as my attending nurse. She came into my room to see how I was doing, asked if I needed anything, and showed a genuine interest in my mental and emotional well-being. We had several conversations in which she shared her belief that restraints can make patients feel like inanimate objects or problems to be managed rather than human beings in distress. She expressed that she believes it is far more effective — and far more humane — to speak with patients, understand what is troubling them, and help them feel safe through connection rather than control.

In my experience, it is easy to restrain someone and make them “not a problem.” It takes an extraordinary nurse to take the time to talk, to listen, to see the person behind the crisis, and to restore calm through compassion. Lee Ann did exactly that.

I deeply appreciated her medical knowledge, her emotional intelligence, and her ability to manage a mental health emergency with professionalism and humanity. Throughout my hospital stay, I also observed Lee Ann interacting with other patients. She consistently treated everyone with the same care, respect, and willingness to go the extra mile — not just me. That is who she is as a nurse and as a person.

While the DAISY Award often highlights medically technical acts, I firmly believe that excellence in mental health care is just as critical and deserving of recognition. Lee Ann treated me as a human being when I needed it most, and I believe that says everything about the kind of nurse she is.

For these reasons, I respectfully and wholeheartedly nominate Lee Ann for the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses. I sincerely hope she is recognized for the compassion, professionalism, and humanity she brings to her work every day.