I have had the great pleasure to work with Hallie for 18+ years and during that time she has had many different roles. Hallie is known all over the C & A campus as a hard worker. The thing is, no matter what role she had, she excelled and was always willing to take on more responsibilities. Hallie has been a MHT, school liaison, program clerk, scheduler, payroll clerk, and then she decided to become a nurse. Hallie started her nursing career by becoming an LPN and worked on different units. Then she decided to return to school to get her RN. She continued to work full time and went to school at night. She did great and graduated all the time raising a family and being loved by her co-workers.

It is as an RN I have witnessed her true growth as a leader with both staff and kids. Through the years, Hallie has always stepped up to take on any challenge I presented to her. However, the last couple of times, I have to admit they were tough and she had significant reservations. Moving to the nurse manager role of Level 3 & 4 during a particularly rough period of time was truly a day-by-day "trial by fire". It was bad. If there could be a managerial blow up, it happened in her first 90 days. She took some tough body shots but kept going. Always professional and fair. Hallie's clinical skills have always been outstanding and her heart is huge. She is a Pinterest star and always thinking of ways to have fun and keep the units upbeat. She transformed the Level 3 & 4 units from a place where most staff were frightened to go into a service where now staff request to work. That's Hallie. When I think of a DAISY Nurse, I don't think of just one or two situations but a day-by-day lifetime commitment to nursing. That's how I describe Hallie Bailey. She is the heart and soul of some tough units. She cares deeply for the kids and the staff. She is their friend and supporter but expects a lot from them. Everyone wants Hallie's approval and she always recognizes their work and efforts. Plus, she looks for the positive and has fun while giving excellent care.

Lastly, it's the handwritten letters that Hallie receives from almost every kid at their time of discharge that sums it all up for me. These letters are from the heart. Time after time, each adolescent will talk about the difference Hallie made in his/her life. Frequently, the adolescent will write, "You saved my life", "You never gave up on me", "I wanted to die but you helped me through those dark days", "You kept me safe", and on and on. She really does make a difference in the lives of the kids and staff. BTW, she is continuing her growth in nursing by completing her BSN and plans to begin her MSN in August. She has almost encouraged several other nurses to begin work on their BSNs. In Hallie's words, "If I can do it, you can do it".