Theresa Ruggerio is currently in the position of Nurse Educator at the Community Living Center. Her tenure at the CLC has shown professional growth which benefited the CLC nursing staff and VA PIHCS. She quickly moved from the position of Staff Nurse to MDS Coordinator to Nurse Educator. During a vacancy in the Associate Chief Nurse position for the CLC, Theresa took on the challenge of guiding the CLC nursing teams through their annual survey. She partnered closely with the Quality Patient Safety Service and assisted with the development of a survey logistics document, thereby providing tangible guidance to the teams involved in the survey process. She used principles in shared governance with the nursing staff. The staff were comfortable in their roles during the survey and did exceptionally well. The trust that the CLC teams have for Ms. Ruggerio was evident whenever one walked through the Community Living Center. Gone was the fear in the nurses observed in their mannerisms and discussions with the QPS team. These were replaced by calmness and smiles. She quietly and effectively led them. It is important to note at this time that this was her initial experience with this level of leadership. Using all of her skills and “internal compass,” she provided the guidance the team needed. She earned the trust of the nursing staff, which was no small feat. Nursing leadership at the CLC was for a while a “revolving door.” She has since returned to her role as the Nurse Educator using all that she learned during her brief tenure as the ACN. She continues to provide guidance to the nursing staff through educational activities including New Nurse Orientation. Thank you, Theresa, for the courage it took to be the acting