I would like to nominate Amor Eluna for the DAISY Award for her 17 years of service to Saddleback. Honestly, this is a nomination that has been long overdue on my part, and now that I am leaving Saddleback after four years, I would feel very regretful I never took the time to show my appreciation to Amor for how exemplary she is as a Nurse and as a person. There are countless instances where I could write a nomination for Amor, so I will try my best to consolidate her impact on myself, PACU, and Saddleback. Since I started working in PACU with Amor 4 years ago, she has continuously demonstrated the admirable qualities you look for in a leader and coworker. Without hesitation, Amor would always make herself available to answer any questions I had from my first day on the job to my last. Amor would always take the time out of her busy day to check on the unit to see if we needed support and lend a hand where she could. Her care for others went far beyond the bedside of patients as Amor always showed concern for any difficult situations her colleagues may be going through outside of work and was always there to listen or see if she could help in some way. I quickly learned Amor is one of those rare people you can always count on, and she was always genuine and intentional with all her interactions. 

In situations of high stress, I never saw Amor flustered; she always remained calm and focused on providing optimal patient care to ensure a positive outcome. I used to joke any day I worked with Amor, I always knew it would be a smooth day regardless of how chaotic it may seem, but that was genuinely true. Amor has consistently demonstrated endless patience with the various new staff she has trained during her time in PACU and has been an incredible teacher and mentor that wants to see everyone succeed. In addition, one of the most prominent qualities that has stood out to me is how Amor is one of the most selfless people I have ever met. She is always willing to step into any situation, even if it means making a sacrifice of her own time, and I don’t think she has been recognized for the numerous times she has stepped up to do that. There have been countless times when Amor has filled in to take call shifts to cover for others when there is no one else available at the expense of her personal time. In summary, Amor would never expect anything in return for all she has done for Saddleback and PACU, which truly exemplifies what it means to be a DAISY Nurse. I can say with sincerity Amor is one of the most thoughtful, kind, and hardworking people I have had the pleasure of working with, and I will truly miss having her as a coworker. 

Another example of Amor’s leadership quality is her ability to care for a complex surgical patient and teach simultaneously. She cared for a very sick CABG patient with an open chest, intubated on multiple vasoactive drips. While caring for this patient, she took the opportunity to orient our new transition nurse, which was a great learning opportunity for him. As a veteran nurse, I can tell you this is very challenging. The inclination is to take care of the patient and teach later. Amor, with her calm demeanor, explained to our new nurse what was happening and what was needed. Our transition nurse was able to experience caring for a complex cardiac-surgical patient. Later, when we debriefed with him, I could tell that this experience inspired him to keep caring for complex surgical patients and learning more. Amor is an inspiration and role model to all PACU nurses.