Sheryl exemplifies not only the excellence in caring, but also she never hesitates to incorporate knowledge into her practice. Sheryl is one of the first nurses to be employed in the new model of care for behavioral health patients in the ED. Sheryl came with an arsenal of psychiatric experience, but this was not an inpatient psych unit. Sheryl has been able to incorporate the need for quick assessments and rapid turnover with careful observation and thoughtful interactions with patients in crisis. Sheryl is always professional and treats every patient with the utmost respect. She has also volunteered to cross train to the ED, not because she wants to be an ED nurse, but because she wants to assure the best medical nursing for patients who frequently have serious medical issues concomitantly. She has become a wonderful preceptor for new staff because she “gets it.”

I recently received a letter from a patient who had been in Sheryl’s care. This young woman was a heroin addict who had been clean for a period of time, but had relapsed. She commented that she had been here often, but that this was the first time she felt as though she had been treated like a human being and not a junkie. She thanked not only Sheryl, but the entire unit for the care she received. She also went on to say that she had made a stupid mistake and was committed to not making it again. It is because of people like Sheryl that our patients can make the choice to get better.

Thank you, Sheryl, for your consistent expertise, caring and dedication.