Tammy provides care with a level of commitment that few can ever hope to achieve, and she has done it consistently for decades. A few recent specific events have reminded us just how much we have to learn from Tammy and what it truly means to be a nurse:

One particularly sick patient was transferred to the ICU a couple of days after Tammy took care of him. Despite having dozens of different staff members caring for them throughout those scary days, receiving heartbreaking diagnoses, and literally fighting for their son's life, that family asked consistently about Tammy and whether she could come to be their nurse. They felt the compassion and expertise that she brings, and it stuck with them on their journey. They felt safe with her looking after them, listening to their concerns, and advocating for them.

A couple of nights ago, I overheard a conversation that Tammy had with the parents of a patient who has been in our care for a while now. They were not assigned to her that night, but she went out of her way to visit them and brought them a little journal. She acknowledged how difficult their past month has been, how scary it must feel, and how frustrating it can be to live in a hospital for an extended amount of time. She encouraged them to write down their feelings, their challenges, and their "little wins" and maybe look back on this experience someday as something that built them up and confirmed their love and commitment to their child. Tammy went out of her way to do something meaningful and special for this family, even when they weren't directly assigned to her anymore.

A family wrought with anxiety and uncertainty smiled for the first time in a long time, and you could see how much it meant to them to be thought of in such a "human" way. There are few moments that make you stop and think about what it means to work in nursing. We are so lucky to learn that implicit message from Tammy every day. I hope she knows how inspiring that is, even when she doesn't think we are watching!