Stephanie cared for my father and for me on the final nights of his life. I knew from the start that there was something special about Stephanie. I hadn't left the hospital for the entire duration of my father's stay over the past month. Each night I slept lightly for fear that I wouldn't wake up to help tend to my father's needs. But that wasn't the case with Stephanie. When she came on duty, I was instantly at ease. She reassured me that she would check on us at set intervals throughout the night and I believed her because of the way she cared for my dad before I went to sleep. I was never disappointed.

She took time with him from day one. She removed his compression stockings and massaged his legs and arms with lotion. She cleaned his mouth and cared for his dry, chapped lips. She talked to him in a soft and soothing voice, even though at this point he was mostly unresponsive. She never seemed inconvenienced by caring for the man who was confined to a recliner because lying flat in the bed caused him too much pain. Other family and friends had visited a number of times and witnessed the way Stephanie cared for Dad. Many wept while watching her. When she left the room, they commented on the genuine compassion and care that could be observed in the way she cared for him.

She also took time with me. For the first two nights that she was Dad's nurse, I was staying at the hospital alone with dad. She was always willing to explain what she was doing and the process. On day one, I asked her to be upfront with me - not to hold anything back - and to my knowledge she always was. Thanks to Stephanie, family and friends made it to say their final goodbye.

Stephanie's voice will forever be etched in my memory. It was Stephanie who gently woke me at 1:00 a.m. She said, "... I think he's gone." She then woke my brother and allowed me to wake my daughter who had slept in a chair next to her grandfather holding his hand. Stephanie moved with efficiency to handle the necessary steps and made special effort not to intrude on our family's grief. Yet, she was supportive and available to us.

Clinically, I couldn't have asked for better care for my dad from anyone at The University of Kansas Hospital. There are many who I could nominate for this award and who are deserving from other RNs to CNAs. But Stephanie was the exception. Stephanie was the best for our family. She was knowledgeable, worked with his team of doctors and made recommendations about his care. There is a science and an art to most occupations. Stephanie has them both.