It is hard to share just a single specific story on Chelsea De Young's above-and-beyond dedication and care for our smallest patients, but it is easy to speak to this one. Chelsea has been the primary nurse for many months now for a very special little boy who has needed the type of expert and exceptional care, collaboration, compassion, and family-centered and focused care our patients need, especially in the face of many unknowns and the complex management this child desperately needed. Families faced with the situation of a NICU admission are put through a whirlwind of extreme stress and adversity. This family being Spanish-speaking creates an additional layer that can, at times, impact the level of communication the family is able to receive. Chelsea holistically challenged this statistic and provided the family with the type of outstanding customer service and family-centered care necessary to effectively reduce the language and cultural barriers that typically exist. It should not be underestimated the lifelong impact that the care infants receive in the NICU. Having the extensive yet uncommon knowledge of this, I can only hope my family and I would receive the type of advocacy and genuine care I consistently witnessed Chelsea provide if ever in this family's position. This should serve as a testament to her innate and consistent ability to provide this level of care for all of her patients and their families, regardless of their background.

Throughout this infant's complex course in the NICU, Chelsea worked endlessly to understand the many changing plans that have been needed to decide the best course of action and plan of care. She did so with a questioning attitude as if she were a part of the family to understand fully what the family would need to know and understand and made sure the family was educated appropriately and timely despite the many moving parts and unknowns. As this infant grew and developed under our care, it was apparent that this would be a complex discharge situation. Chelsea handled this with ease and continued with a positive attitude in the face of many stressors while continuing to provide exceptional coordination, communication, and advocacy, all the while providing developmentally appropriate care to support his development and even utilizing sign language appropriate for his age. She is the primary reason that he is as healthy and age-appropriate as he is, and the difference she has made in his life should not be understated.

Children's Hospital Colorado's Mission speaks to the provision of high-quality, coordinated patient care, education, and advocacy for all of whom we serve. Our vision is "Child Health. Reimagined. Realized." Chelsea has exceeded in exemplifying these values in this story alone, as she consistently does in many others as well. Too often, this type of exceptional (and infrequently paralleled) care goes somewhat unnoticed or underappreciated in healthcare. We, as healthcare professionals, often don’t consider ourselves as doing anything "special" or anything more than what our moral and ethical oaths state we take as we enter the various professions. The first provision of The Code of Ethics for Nurses states, "The nurse practices with compassion and respect and inherent dignity, worth, and unique attributes of every person." It is hard not to see Chelsea's care in this statement and all of the provisions listed as she realized this child’s health is under our care. Knowing I am not alone in considering Chelsea's care beyond "special" and at the highest level of her profession, I am confidently nominating her for the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses. I hope everyone can celebrate and learn from Chelsea in this type of expert care and dedication for years to come. She is a role model for all healthcare staff and providers, and we are truly lucky to have her on our team; just as this family was and will always be. Thank you endlessly, Chelsea.