Hillary was recognized by an enthusiastic parent whose son was diagnosed with ALL leukemia earlier this year. "If you have not yet met Hillary, I suggest you get over there to 7South STAT," the grateful mom writes. "From the moment she entered the room, we could see that she has a genuine heart and cares deeply for her patients. She has the ability to explain and educate in a way that we all can understand.
"Rarely does the IV beep when Hillary is our nurse. She stays on top of it and plans when she needs to come back to change IV bags. Never does she make you feel like you are bothering her. She reminds us that she is there for us and whatever we need to be as comfortable as possible.
Our son loves and respects her just like my husband and I do. You cannot teach people compassion, patience, and warmth. These are considered soft skills. Hillary may have been taught the clinical side, but she brought the soft side along with it. She is the full package and you are very lucky to have her."
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The first words I think of when describing Hillary are intelligent, detail-oriented, driven and genuine. When I provided her the DAISY nomination we received from the grateful parent, Hillary read the first few sentences and her eyes began to water. We discussed the immense value in someone validating the work she felt called to do. Often nurses don't take the moment to reflect on all of the lives they have touched and the large role they place in the outcomes of their patients' care. This recognition is well deserved as Hillary consistently provides high-level care to all of her patients. Ironically, the family that recognized her happened to walk by as Hillary and I were talking. Hillary jumped up and without hesitation, hugged the mother. It allowed me to witness the compassion and warmth that our grateful parent described in her beautiful letter - even though I already knew what a fantastic nurse she is.