Lynnika was recognized by a colleague for because when she was leaving the hospital at the end of a long shift, she saw one of her recently discharged patients waiting on the curb for a long-delayed cab to take him home. Without a second thought, Lynnika sprang into action to ensure his safety. "But this incident is just one of a hundred that I could tell you about,” says her nominator.

Lynnika is known by her team for putting everyone else’s needs before her own, going out of her way to make sure that her patients and coworkers never wait for any request, no matter how complex. Not just her own patients, but every patient! Every nurse. Everyone on the PCU. She never leaves her shift without making that every I is dotted, every T is crossed — and that all of her patients are tucked in for the night.

“The amount of trust that her patients and families place in her is unbelievable,” read her nomination. “She loves them like they’re her own family, and is present and patient and protective of the people in her care.” Lynnika is also fiercely protective of her work family and has put herself in harm’s way to protect her colleagues.

“She is so loved by her teammates. She is a kind, genuine, thoughtful, amazing, mild-mannered exceptional nurse who shuns the limelight!” With her MSN focused on education, Lynnika leads by example, personally instructing and supporting recent grads, RNs who are new to the unit, and current nursing students to show them how important great teamwork is to patient safety and their overall nursing experience. Thank you, Lynnika!