Maria is the most compassionate and empathetic nurse I have ever met. She works in the neurosurgery clinic organizing admissions for patients requiring surgery. She works tirelessly day in and day out to ensure a smooth experience for the patient and family. She is adaptable to ever-changing situations (child becomes sick for surgery, has an abnormal bloodwork result, has new questions about the surgery, or the OR spot is cancelled last minute). She helps families prepare for the admission by explaining what the inpatient ward is like (she previously worked as an inpatient neurosurgery nurse and CSN for many years) and suggests items of comfort to bring to make their stay more pleasant. She takes her time describing the pre-op process, what happens in PACU, and where they should expect to go post-operatively. Maria often receives panicked phone calls from families fretting with worry about their child’s upcoming surgery, and she calmly discusses their concerns and offers reassurance. Maria also supports families with challenging social circumstances and connects them with social work to ensure that they are able to receive the care they need. She also collaborates with the child life in the OR to make the experience more pleasant for the child. Maria has a keen eye for detail and never misses anything about her pre-op patients. She is detail-oriented, dedicated, and compassionate. She is a pleasure to work with, and the families are lucky to have her as their same-day admit nurse!