Virginia consistently exemplifies excellence in nursing care day in and day out. As Virginia's co-worker, I look forward to working with her. She consistently walks into work with a positive attitude, she never complains and is always ready to take on whatever comes her way. I have seen her advocate for her patients when something does not seem right, and even keep questioning when appropriate until her concerns are addressed. I have also witnessed Virginia exemplify excellence when caring for difficult patients. She has the patience to encourage, support, and lift the spirits of patients who are feeling overwhelmed. Recently, I saw Virginia work very hard all day with a patient who was resisting treatment and had high anxiety. I believe that because of her support and compassion, she literally changed the respiratory status of this patient by not ceasing in her encouragement to make him do his incentive spirometry and get out of bed. While this sounds like an easy task, it was a very hard one with this particular patient. On top of that, Virginia is a favorite nurse of any patient that she interacts with. Parents and children always respond well to her, confide in her, and trust her.
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Virginia's manager validates these comments when she states: "Virginia is a superstar. She consistently goes above and beyond to support the entire team. This team includes the patients and families when she is directly at the bedside and when in the charge role this team is all encompassing- everyone on the unit knows that Virginia has their back. She does this with a keen eye, a compassionate attitude, and a no-nonsense practice. If a question or concern arises, Virginia seeks clarity and challenges the status quo. This is a skill that takes time and courage to develop. As her manager, I know that when Virginia is on duty, our unit is in excellent hands. She is the team leader, the cheerleader, the empathetic shoulder to lean on."