Maddy is a perfect example of a future nurse who understands that her practice is both science and art. During Maddy's first week of Med-Surg 2 clinical, she cared for a sweet patient who was experiencing complications from her cancer diagnosis. She completed thorough, detailed patient assessments, learned her meds, accompanied her to her radiation treatment, helped her ambulate, and controlled her pain. She prioritized her patient's psychological needs and provided care accordingly, but she also attended to her patient's emotional and psychological needs. 

She was never in a hurry. Nothing the patient had to say was inconvenient to her. Maddy talked and laughed with her, and she built a strong rapport with both the patient and her daughter. Three weeks later, as we were walking out of clinical, that same patient's daughter saw her and exclaimed, "Maddy! Hi!" She gave her an update on her mother and asked Maddy to come say hello. The impact Maddy left on that family was tangible.

Maddy's social and emotional intelligence extends to her peer interactions, also. She is slow to complain and quick to praise others. She has a strong intuition about what others are thinking and feeling and what their corresponding needs are in that moment. During a clinical post-conference this semester, she called out another student for being a great team player and for providing superb care to their patient that day. It was poignantly sincere, and it was exactly the encouragement that the student needed after a long and difficult shift.

Maddy is an extraordinary nursing student who is well on her way to being an extraordinary nurse leader.