Kim Dela Vega is not only an outstanding nurse, but she is also an excellent team player. I have never heard her say an unkind word about anyone and she never complains about anything. Literally never. No matter how complicated the patient is and no matter many orders I write, she completes everything with calm efficiency. She always has a smile on her face.
This morning she was called in early to care for a patient and when I thanked her for coming in early, she said, "I was up anyway so it was no big deal." I doubt that was really true, she was texted at 4:30 AM. She came in before she even had a cup of coffee.
The main reason I wanted to write is the time we had an extremely complicated patient in the ICU and many nurses were out sick. Kim worked 3 days in a row, not feeling great herself from an ear infection. As usual, she never complained she continued to do her usual excellent patient care. Rarely have I witnessed such a work ethic. I felt awful because I couldn't help her since I can't do the majority of what a nurse does.
I always say as a physician when you have a busy day or a complicated patient, you look at the staff when you come to the floor. When you see the "A team" on duty, you say to yourself "Nothing can hurt me today." Fortunately, as a physician who works at 17 different facilities, Kimberley Dela Vega is the A+ team! I wanted to personally tell you how fortunate you are to have such a fine person on your nursing staff. Her work ethic, commitment to excellence, and her kind calm personality make her a role model for all of us. I am proud to be working in the same unit as her.

Note: This is Kim's 2nd DAISY Award!