My dream to pursue a career in nursing was discovered after I was in a car accident in which a nurse’s kindness forever altered my life. This nurse’s name is Ryan. Although the details remain fuzzy, I vividly recall the feelings of vulnerability, pain, and fear. I don’t remember all of the assessments, and treatments, or exactly what was said to me. I only remember how this kind stranger made me feel. He made it his mission to change my fear into calm, my weakness into strength, and my feelings of a wounded victim into those of a brave survivor. Ryan's efforts to not only nurse my wounds but place care into my spirit have allowed this event not to be an anchor for my despair but a pillar for my strength.

Now I look back at this event not as “the day I almost died,” but as “the day I knew for certain I wanted to become a nurse.” Since then I have become a certified nursing assistant and am currently finishing my last semester of nursing school in Austin, Texas. Ryan has kept me enthusiastic and motivated. Since this day, I have kept Ryan in my thoughts with every individual under my care I think about how he made me feel and how I can share that with others.

To me, patient care is like a tree. Most people only see a tree for what it is and don’t give it further thought. Some look closer and see the tree for its number of leaves. Fewer people still consider the leaves, branches, and roots, which together make up the entire tree as a whole, for the delicately balanced and fragile living thing it is. To me, quality nursing is just that. I believe in looking at patients as a whole, while also being able to notice the smaller qualities that make them unique and provide care that speaks to that uniqueness. This is the type of nurse I will become, and for that, I thank Ryan and nominate him for the DAISY Award.