Rita is one of the most caring nurses I work with in the Emergency Department. She puts 110% of herself into her job every day. She expects perfection of herself and her co-workers. She never questions a patient's interpretation of their illness. She listens in full attention to their stories whether they be pertinent to immediate nursing care or not. She always puts the care of her patients first frequently skipping lunches so she can do "just one more thing" for them. She is always willing to give the other nurses a hand, or stay a little later to check in the ambulance that no one else seems to be able to get to. She is also a committed preceptor and takes extra care to fully explain her care to those entrusted to her teaching. She even brought in her old books from nursing school to loan to a preceptee who expressed further interest in EKGs. She has trained many students and new grads and they are better nurses today because of their experience with her. She continues to see the beauty in human kind with each day that passes in this challenging field. And, I would trust her with my life knowing that she would provide accurate, thorough nursing care in a compassionate manner.