It had been a very busy night on our unit and we did not staff a Certified Heath Technician (CHT). Melanie was in charge and one of the nurses had a patient that was having continuous tremors, was impulsive, and detoxing off some drug. This patient was unsafe to be by herself and the ICU was full and could not take her. Melanie volunteered to sit with the patient and help the patients bedside nurse care for her other patients to be caught up. Melanie not only sat with this patient but also tried to console her and show her the utmost compassion. Melanie is a true team player, always willing to help other nurses. She also does a wonderful job for her patients; she shows compassion and caring while drawing on her years of nursing expertise and assisting that patient towards their best outcome possible.

There are many examples I could use to tell you how Melanie has demonstrated that she deserves this award but the number one thing is her patients are always well cared for. I can also say that when she is Charge RN, the night is well organized, smooth running, and there is a great sense of teamwork.