Alex has had many situations that demonstrate he is more than deserving of this award. Recently his attention to detail and compassion for positive patient outcomes lead him to saving a new skin graft for a patient. By going above and beyond interviewing staff in another department he was able to ascertain a wound vac had been malfunctioning before the patient arrived to his unit. He immediately notified the physician, and his proactive work saved this patient's skin graft that would positively impact their quality of life.

Alex also recently was recognized by a patient during manager rounds. This patient was known to be challenging as she struggled with anxiety related to her new diagnosis. The patient expressed how much she appreciated this nurse and how he decreased her anxiety and helped her to move forward with her future. Not only did he take the time to sit at the bedside to discuss all of her concerns, but he also welcomed the conversation by phone and in person to discuss what her care would look like at home.

Because of his patience and therapeutic communication, the patient started to progress in the hospital when she had been declining for many days. And as stated above, recently there was a DNR patient who was actively dying. Unfortunately, the family wasn’t involved, and this nurse took it upon himself to be there for this patient even though he was not his primary caregiver. Alex recognized no one should die alone and throughout the shift he made visits to him, and in the patient's last moments this nurse sat down next to him, held his hand, continually spoke to him until he took his last breath. This moment is the core of who this nurse is and how he lives everyday life full of compassion.