Forget being an incredible nurse; first and foremost, Melissa Berdine is an incredible human being. I consider myself lucky to have worked with her in the medical ICU for the past six years. Melissa is constantly going above and beyond for her patients and coworkers. The following stories are just a few examples:

Two years ago, we had a young patient on our unit who was gravely ill and required bilateral leg amputations to save her life. Melissa took this patient and family under her wing and provided exceptional care throughout her hospital stay. She did whatever she could to brighten this patient's day and make her life feel a little less heavy. Even after this patient left our unit and was eventually discharged from the hospital, Melissa continued to be there for her and her family.

What's even more incredible is that this is essentially routine behavior for Melissa-- she goes above and beyond for all her patients. She is the type of nurse and person we should all strive to be like. This year, she helped organize a Christmas fundraiser for a local family and provided gifts for three little girls.

She rescued a patient's dog who was left caged for five days straight without food and water. Last month, when a coworker suffered a house fire, Melissa took it upon herself to start a fundraiser for him and his family. She reached out to countless people to help raise money. On her day off, she rented a truck and went around Buffalo collecting furniture and various household items for the family. Thanks to her hard work, thousands of dollars were raised, and the family is no longer hopping from hotel room to hotel room every night. I could give countless examples of Melissa's selflessness, generosity, and kind heart. She is an exceptional nurse.