I am honored to nominate Kathleen Rizzo, RN to be considered for the DAISY Award for Nursing Excellence. Kathleen works as a neuro-oncology nurse in our Neurosurgery Department. Her day includes assisting her physician in office visits in our 30 Hope Drive clinic for various neruo-oncology patients, giving chemotherapy to patients in the cancer center, and obtaining insurance authorization for the various medications and treatments required by this complex subset of patients. In between these duties, she spends many hours on the phone with these patients and their families, helping them navigate through the myriad of issues that accompany the relentless progress of these tumors. In all of this, Kathleen consistently provides compassionate care to these patients and their families even when the families can be demanding and difficult. She often stays well past her shift time to return phone calls and spend a few more minutes explaining to patients and families the treatment plan and expectations of treatment. The patience she shows with these people is remarkable. She is truly worthy and deserving of this award.