Dawn was nominated by a parent of a former patient, who wrote how Dawn’s knowledge, skills, and experience of quality for excellent care truly shows her dedication to her profession and the patients she cares for.

The nomination written by the patient's mom describes Dawn as “cool as a cucumber.  She joked and teased, she listened and talked while she worked.  She let the patient and parents decide what they needed, all while being a positive, dominating presence in the room.  One cannot be funny and confident without a high level of knowledge, skills, and commitment to one’s profession.”   Mom states that when Dawn arrived in her daughter’s room, she would greet her daughter with, “Hey Cutie Patootie, it’s time to turn. Are you ready?” Her daughter's face would light up, and she forgot her pain and tears, shifting her focus on what direction Dawn was providing, getting their daughter to do things they couldn’t believe.  

Mom goes on to describe Dawn as a bit of a “therapist, counselor, doctor and aunt---never overstepping her role as a nurse.  For Nurse Dawn, her job seems to be just an extension of who she is: a person who enjoys serving children when they are the most confused, vulnerable, and in pain.  She came back more often than we expected, knowing exactly what to do –   When she was on we knew we could relax as parents.  We have never, in the several countries and then the states we have lived in, come across someone as capable, caring, and cool.  Only the deepest kind of care – care in all its meaning, including support, attention, concern, interest can make a professional so focused and so impactful.”

Dawn, thank you, for making a difference to your patients and their families in the Children’s Hospital.  What an honor to have a patient say, “She felt like an Aunt to me.” You truly make a difference!