I can't describe only one moment or event that has led me to nominate Mindy because there are so many ways in which she is extraordinary. When I was a new grad, I looked up to her and developed a great deal of trust in her clinical judgment because she was always willing to patiently teach us. You knew that she didn't teach you things to edify her but to truly develop you as a nurse.
Mindy is extremely humble and never boasts or brags. You have to be watching what she does in order to get a sense of how skilled she is because you will never hear her tell it with her words. I spent so much of my new grad time watching Mindy care for babies and care for parents. So much of my passion, compassion, and critical thinking come from Mindy's example. Even now as a Clinician I still continue to admire her. There isn't a shift that goes by when I work with Mindy that she isn't going above and beyond for each one of her patients. If they need to be bathed or need any special attention, you will see her never hesitating and on top of it, all her time management is like no other. She is so efficient with her time despite any special attention she gives to her patients.
Just today, I walked by one of her patient's rooms and Mindy was reading him a book and encouraging him to focus on the colors. You could tell in just that fleeting moment how much she wanted that patient to be able to see those colors by the look on her face; it was true passion. That example may seem like just a part of our jobs and we should all be doing those things and having that kind of passion but it's not always that easy for many reasons. Mindy is special because no matter what is going on here at work or in her personal life she comes here and gives 110% to those families.
In the middle of this same shift, I saw Mindy leading a family of a 7-month-old patient on a home vent with a trach through the halls of the unit. The family was joyfully pushing the baby in a stroller, each smiling from ear to ear as they showed off this baby who was finally healthy enough to make the small but monumental trip. A moment like that is priceless to families. It talks a lot of coordination to pull off such a task; Respiratory Therapists, lots of logistics, lots of equipment, and lots of safety checks. Let's face it, not all of us would take the time to go that extra mile to give that smiling family one of their best days, but Mindy always does.