Christine is frequently sharing education with fellow staff on our unit, who lack the medical background that she has. She does so without judgment and creates a warm and fostering environment for us to learn from her experiences. While she does have quite the extensive background, I frequently note her reading journal articles and doing what she can to further her education and provide the best care to our patients. I can see that she truly wants to learn anything she can to provide the best care to our population here, by staying up to date on current practices.    

Christine has mentored not only me, but many other nurses, both young and seasoned with her wealth of knowledge. She is always willing to share experiences and guide others. When Christine started on our unit, I still considered myself fairly new to the profession. She was always willing to help with medical situations, as she had such an extensive background. She did so without hesitation, teaching me along the way. She has always spoken up about issues concerning nurses, advocating not only for those surrounding her but also for the profession as a whole.    

Christine has provided such a variety of care over the years. She has spent time with families and patients, during their last days and some of the most difficult moments in the lives of not only the patient, but their families as well. She has spent time caring for those who were in need of intensive care, remaining calm in high-intensity situations. I have seen her work with the behavioral health population, providing excellent care to some of our most challenging patients. She does so with elegance, remaining calm in very difficult situations. I know that when we have patients who have been struggling for several days, without relief, that once she steps in, she will help them turn that corner to improvement. For example, we had a patient who desperately needed ECT, who was quite ill and very, very hesitant about the treatment. She came in over an hour early, to be there with that patient, providing support and holding her hand to help her through a much-needed intervention.     

Christine is one of the most accountable people I have met in this profession. She ensures that with each handoff, both on our unit and with others that she both obtains and gives a detailed report to be able to provide the best care to patients. She is often one to speak up, when she believes that she has made a mistake, when many would try to hide this, she does not. She truly strives to put the patient at the top of her priorities while she is here and to ensure that they gain everything they need. 

Christine takes the time to sit and listen to not only patients, but fellow co-workers, family members, friends, and members of the community. She is present in each interaction by putting aside any task she had at hand, to truly be in the moment providing support and a listening ear. Patients often state that she makes them feel heard and well cared for. She is highly spoken of by many. 

I have only known Christine for just a fraction of her nursing career, but in that time, I have seen the exceptional nurse that she is and how blessed the patients on our unit are to be in her care. While I haven't seen her in action during her time on the medical units, her wealth of knowledge has transferred over. I know that if I have any medical issues with a patient on the unit, I can always turn to her for guidance; she will educate and help us through the process without any judgment. During her time on our behavioral health floor, I have seen her work with some of our most challenging cases. She is one that I can count on to truly help some of our patients, when we have been unsuccessful. 

We frequently have patients who are in the midst of a psychotic episode, scared and unsure of what is going on around them and fearful of us. Christine is able to step in and be a warm presence, gaining their trust, and helping them through their time here to turn the corner into recovery. She will come in early and stay late to help those patients who are struggling if it means any benefit to their recovery. She will always help the family of our patients by providing education on illness and support, as it is the most difficult time of their lives in some cases. Once again, while I have only known her for a short period of her nursing career, I can see that she has changed the lives of many patients, families, and coworkers. I am blessed to know her and work alongside her, and I truly feel that many of our patients would be at a disadvantage without her. I hope that I can provide even a fraction of the care that she does throughout the rest of my career.

Note: This is Christine's 2nd DAISY Award!