I would like to nominate nurse Misty Coburn for this award because she exemplifies what it means to be a nurse. Her empathy and compassion were evident from the moment she walked into the room early one morning. My fiancé has always been healthy and never complains about anything until he was recently hospitalized. He was very scared because he had never been in the hospital and we both had a very bad hospital experience with a loved one recently. He even contemplated leaving multiple times until he met nurse Misty. She not only put him at ease but also helped me and his mother to relax and understand what was going on. He had been very sick, unable to eat, and losing weight. Had Misty not come in the door that morning, I am confident that he would have left and we would not know that he has bacteria in his stomach that caused him to suffer from ulcers.

When Misty walked into the room early Friday morning, she greeted us both with sincerity and seemed genuinely concerned about both of us. She could tell by looking at my fiancé that he was scared and immediately took the time to talk to him and see what was bothering him. She was very calming and reassuring in the way she spoke to us. She seemed very confident and knew her information. By the time she was finished, we both had a very good understanding of what endoscopic procedures were and how they can help. Misty didn't need to explain it in so much detail, but she went out of her way to make sure we understood everything that was going to happen that morning. You just get a good feeling when she's around and you can tell that she really enjoys what she does.

I know how hard nurses work and how stressful it has been for them lately. My fiancé and I, as well as his mother, would like to thank her for showing so much compassion for total strangers and for what she does. Not only did she make sure his room was in order and we had no questions, but she also remained in the room and prayed with us prior to his procedure. That meant a lot to his mom and she knew then she had nothing to worry about. Thank you Nurse Misty for helping us to see that there are still people out there who truly care for others and take their jobs seriously. I hope that if I ever need to be hospitalized you will be there to help me just like you helped my fiancé.