I wholeheartedly believe Amy deserves this award and so much more. She has been an outstanding co-worker and mentor to me in the 7 years I have worked with her in the NICU. I started in the NICU as a new grad and even though I am seasoned with 7 years under my belt I still feel like a new nurse. Amy is someone whom I strive to be like as I advance and continue to learn about our tiny patient population.

Amy took on the NICU nurse educator role recently and continues to do bedside nursing as well. I cannot even begin to describe all the hours of hard work she has put into making changes and really trying to make education work well for the entire team. As nurses, we put in so much time into continuing our education. Amy always strives to make sure extra education fits our schedules so that we rarely have to come in extra. This is so important for work-life balance, and she truly believes this. She is passionate about improvement in healthcare. She was a large part of revamping our hospital's hypoglycemia protocol. We are now able to offer donor milk to infants with low blood sugar instead of formula when the parents consent. As most of us know, breast milk is better for newborns, and giving this option to parents is an exceptional option for providing medical care to their newborn.

On days that Amy isn't staff, and she is in house for education, she is an ace in our back pocket. I can't count how many times I have needed her in an emergency or help with a critical patient and she was by my side in a blink. Having that extra person with a wealth of knowledge and skill available without question is invaluable for our team. When she shows up a sense of calm washes over me because I know that no matter how intense the situation is, she will help me get through it. If you asked all the NICU nurses and Pediatricians, I could say without a doubt they would feel the same way.

The NICU can be a scary and stressful place for any parent. No one plans to have a NICU baby and parents can feel like they have no control over what is happening to their newborn. Even though our job is to care for sick or early babies, we also care for the parents too. Amy can always calm and reassure scared parents. She is thoughtful in her explanation and talks in a way the parents will understand. She encourages parents to be a part of their newborn's care, so they feel involved and a part of the healing journey.

I could go on and on about how amazing Amy is, but I will end on a personal note. I am one of the preceptors for the NICU. Training and teaching new and experienced nurses can be a hard job, especially with our tiny patients. As most of us do, I'm often my own worst critic. Not long ago I was feeling like maybe I didn't know enough, or that I wasn't a good teacher. Amy snapped me out of that train of thought as soon as I voiced my feelings. All it took was one conversation with her to turn my self-doubt into self-confidence. She acknowledges my strengths and would never fault me for my mistakes. She continues to mentor me on my journey as a preceptor with excellent insight and suggestions. And she continues to make me a better nurse in so many ways. Our hospital is so lucky to have a nurse like Amy. She is a true DAISY Nurse.