Lindy Hartl, BSN, RN

Lindy was my preceptor in my last semester of nursing school, and throughout our 13 weeks together, I observed every single attribute a nurse should have: compassion, patience, empathy, empowerment, communication, and commitment to the career. She treated every patient and every member of the hospital team with the same compassion and respect, regardless of their role.

I remember one patient who was sad about missing Valentine’s Day with his wife because he was admitted. Lindy stayed over after an already busy 12-hour day, got a balloon, and helped our patient write a love letter to his wife. She went above and beyond, but that wasn’t above and beyond for her; it was just another day of being a nurse. The ICU and any unit in the hospital can take away almost all sense of control our patients have.

Lindy always made sure our patients knew they were in control of their care, even if that meant coffee at 3 am. Lindy is not only a great nurse, but also a great teacher. Throughout every skill, Lindy offered words of encouragement and calm direction. She instilled so much confidence in me. I looked forward to every shift, despite the overnights when I only slept for a few hours. There was no doubt about the amount of knowledge she had about anything; I could ask her any question, and she knew. She knew when to act on a critical patient, and when to watch closely…and she remained cool as a cucumber the entire time. She became a mentor I don’t think I will ever forget. Her commitment and passion for nursing never went unnoticed. The world would be a better place if we all acted as she does.