I have worked for Swedish (First Hill) as a nurse technician since December of 2021. I work weekends in the PACU where Michelle Gale is my charge nurse. Michelle has essentially been my unofficial preceptor in my time in the PACU. She has shown every facet of the Swedish values in her nursing care practice while educating me. She has shown compassion in her interactions with every single patient she cares for and every colleague she communicates with. She has shown justice by providing a high level of care to all of her patients. She has shown excellence by going above and beyond to provide care to patients and improve the workflow for all care teams we coordinate with.

There have been times when staffing was so tight on the floors, she decided to discharge patients herself even though this is not something PACU nurses do. Michelle always protects the dignity and privacy of her patients. Michelle has shown integrity by always doing the right thing no matter the circumstances. Michelle has never lapsed in taking patient safety into consideration.

Finally, although it isn't a Swedish value, Michelle always strives for efficiency without sacrificing any of the other Swedish values. I have learned so much from Michelle. I not only learned what it means to incorporate these values into my nursing practice, but also an array of nursing skills from hooking up a patient to the monitor to interpreting ECG rhythms. She has guided me in learning skills such as how to insert a Foley catheter, jaw thrust maneuvers, and post-surgical assessments which are all skills that I am now confident in. I just passed my NCLEX in early April, and I am thrilled to be starting a residency at the IMCU. I have no doubt in my mind that Michelle has prepared me well enough to start my nursing career. I am beyond grateful for the foundation she has provided me. She is a gift to nursing and I hope to be even half the nurse that she is.