Sarah Saunders was initially hired as one of our Nurse Educators on Acute Care Pediatrics but has stepped up for the needs of our unit. She is currently acting as one of our Interim Nurse Clinicians while our leadership team is under transition. To start, Sarah is one of the warmest, kindest, and most approachable people I have ever met. I remember being a new graduate nurse (now several years ago) and meeting Sarah for the first time. I was asked to float to the NICU for my shift and at the time that is where Sarah worked. Having floated to the NICU only one other time before this particular shift, I was very nervous. Luckily, Sarah was the first person I ran into and she immediately put me at ease. She made sure I was introduced to the nurses who would be giving me report, as well as the nurse who had been assigned my buddy for the shift. She even checked to make sure that I was comfortable with my assignment prior to her leaving for the night. I didn't find out until much later into my shift that Sarah was actually making sure I was comfortable on the unit while also assisting with an acutely decompensating patient down the hallway. That made a lasting impression on me and that scenario is the epitome of Sarah Saunders: handling what needs to be handled but still recognizing the importance of making others feel welcome.

Having experience in both pediatrics and the NICU, Sarah brings a wealth of knowledge and wisdom to our unit which allows her to play such versatile roles. Whether she is in the office working on new hire orientation, attending hospital-wide meetings representing our unit, or teaching clinicals out on the floor, she is always present, checking in with team members, and offering help at a moment's notice.

Sarah doesn't just talk the talk, you can often find her jumping in, whether that is something as simple as holding someone's phone so they can have a few minutes to eat, or traveling with a patient, or even taking patients if that is what is needed of her. Sarah has the ability to adapt both her teaching and leadership styles to the needs of the individual and that is a skill that few can do successfully. Being able to individualize her styles based on the needs of the team allows her to more successfully tap into what motivates the individual so she can encourage personal development and growth which translates to unit growth and development.

Sarah is passionate about mutual respect and continued professional development. A great example of this passion is Sarah becoming trained to teach the crucial conversations class and bringing it to our team. The crucial conversations class educates on how to have tough conversations in a professional manner. With this class, she promotes transparent communication and encourages team members to hold each other accountable with the intent of continuing to develop our team professionally and elevating the level of care provided on Acute Care Pediatrics.

Last year, Sarah was diagnosed with breast cancer and yet she continued to work through surgeries, chemotherapy, and radiation. What was so awe-inspiring about her working through cancer, regardless of what she was going through personally, was she was still so present at work and she was emitting optimism and positivity that was contagious to others.

Sarah has overcome more adversity in the last year than most overcome in a lifetime and she has still been able to be a much-needed presence on our unit. She is an inspiration to all that work with her, she is a difference-maker, a positive-culture creator, and such an important influence on our unit, within the organization, and throughout nursing as a profession. Acute Care Pediatrics, the Children's Hospital of Richmond, and VCU Health are so fortunate to have a leader like Sarah within this institution.