Maggie models compassionate care constantly in her nursing practice. She is an experienced nurse that is a champion of addressing psychosocial issues for patients while they are admitted to our unit. Maggie finds a way to connect with patients and families through laughter or shared interests and deep empathy, making them feel that they can trust her with their most private and intimate needs. Maggie uses all available resources, her own creative problem solving skills, and unshakable commitment to respond to the shared needs. This has ranged from tackling long standing familial emotional distress and repair of relationships, facilitating innovative discharge, planning involving meals on wheels, visiting nursing, churches and other community resources, assisting initiation of outpatient addiction treatment support prior to discharge, and utilizing hospital resources to obtain necessary equipment or financial supplementation. Her compassion and commitment shine through during these moments because she goes above and beyond to evaluate the needs of the patient as a whole, improving the lives of patients and families in immeasurable ways.

We had a very long term patient on our unit; here for over two months, which is rare for us. The patient was medically complex, extremely confused and combative, and requiring a soma bed initially. The case was also complicated by multiple legal issues. The patient was causing some nurses to be intimidated by the challenge. At every opportunity Maggie took the time to develop a trusting relationship with the patient, reorienting her when needed in a kind, firm manner and taking the opportunity during more clear times to learn about the patient's life when she wasn't in the hospital with the current issues. The patient was able to confide in Maggie with concerns and fears. Maggie spent any extra time in her day connecting with the patient. She also normalized her life with simple acts of kindness including bringing in her favorite soda or getting her favorite breakfast meal. Maggie purchased new clothing for the patient as well as laundering clothes that she had brought in to help prepare her for discharge. She consistently addressed patient issues with the team during discharge planning and family rounds to engage all levels of the interdisciplinary team and ensure the best discharge plan. She invested in meaningful relationships with the patient's caregivers and continued to regularly check in with the patient after she left our unit and was back home. There is no question that the patient benefited in a multitude of ways from the nursing care and connection Maggie provided: medically, emotionally, socially, and spiritually.

Over the years it is impossible to count how many times Maggie has made a significant difference in the lives of patients and families. In the above referenced patient's case Maggie was pivotal in evaluating if the patient was able to make important decisions on her own, helping to get appropriate people in place for the patient when she wasn't, and then advocating for the patient's increasing independence when her cognition improved. She impacted the patient's life on a daily basis, keeping her spirit up during many delays in discharge due to the complexity of planning, and continuing to discuss the case in rounds even during times it seemed things were at a standstill, advocating for consults and family meetings. Maggie made the patient feel at home during her very long hospital stay and I believe shortened the time she was delirious with her consistent compassionate care.

Margaret is an extraordinary nurse with a gift of connecting meaningfully to patients, listening to verbal and non-verbal communication, and escalating needs until they are adequately addressed by the most appropriate resource. Our patients and staff benefit from her leadership, compassion, and uncompromising will to do the best job every time.