Charge nurses are looked to for advice, guidance, direction and assistance. This role is one of the most important within our organization. The charge nurse must be aware of every nurse's skill and knowledge level, be able to communicate effectively, make professional decisions that will affect the outcome of our patients and basically, know every little if, and & but (no pun intended) to every situation. I find all of these qualities and many, many more in Stephanie Taylor.

My first experience with Stephanie was when I was working in ICU, I was the Rapid Response nurse. I responded to a Code Blue in IMU and saw Stephanie at the bedside holding a liter of fluid up, squeezing it with all her might and responding to every question being thrown at her. I remember being so impressed with her clinical skills.

Since that night, I have worked alongside Stephanie in many situations and I am still impressed with her ability to handle emergent and non-emergent situations with skill and proficiency. Her co-workers respect her, the doctors appreciate her assessment and critical thinking skills and I appreciate her positive attitude as she always demonstrates a team approach that is in the best interest of the patients. She has such a caring and thoughtful manner that is contagious to others around her.