As a first-time mom giving birth, I had no idea what to expect. Sam was the absolute best nurse and made my experience go much smoother than I ever expected a delivery to go. When I was in labor, I had a bizarre pain in my chest/abdomen that wouldn't go away (even with an epidural) she was a great advocate for me and was able to get an order for meds to take the pain away. I knew Sam was special as a former critical care nurse, you just know when you are surrounded by "your people" and I knew I was in good hands. I had no idea how special Sam was until I ended up back in the ER two days after going home with chest pain. While in the ER I was given an absolutely devastating potential diagnosis related to my heart. Since I am a former cardiac PCU nurse, I knew exactly what this diagnosis meant and I was terrified. The doctor was explaining the plan with me - in comes Sam! I can't tell you how much this meant to me - instant tears!! Not only did she remember me, but she came to see me and gave me a much-needed hug. She was my nurse for the rest of the day and helped me to keep it together. She filled all the docs in on my care since she knew me and my history which is so important when gathering a patient's history. I was very fortunate - the diagnosis they thought I had was ruled out which was a big sigh of relief. Sam is truly an amazing nurse and she absolutely deserves this award. I have only encountered a few nurses as amazing as she is in both my career and as a patient. Thank you, Sam!!