We have had a really difficult time in PICU over the last few weeks - high acuity, many patient deaths, and rough situations. Monique has been an excellent leader and support for our team throughout it all. She was on call over a very difficult weekend with extremely complicated social situations. She supported the staff so well and made us feel like we could always look to her for guidance and support. As the night shift manager, she is often in house after 3-4 pm, but the few hours she was with us in the afternoon were so helpful that it felt like she was with us all day. Not only that, she was always accessible throughout the day. She came early to be a part of a SWIT meeting, and constantly checked in with myself and the staff. On our final day with one of our patients, another day filled with stressful situations, Monique jumped right in, put on her isolation gear, and walked into the room to assist with post-mortem care.

That moment spoke volumes to me - I know she has so much on her plate as an assistant manager, but in that moment, she chose to put all of that aside to help with a patient's final bath. When I told her that we so appreciated her presence, she just stated "This is important. This is what matters." We are so grateful for her unending support during these really difficult moments. Even through the past couple of weeks, the one thing that has remained constant is the support we feel from Monique. She is a strong, compassionate leader in the PICU and we are so very lucky to have her.