Quimberly (Kym) goes above and beyond for her team. She is always very professional but very approachable and personable. She supports her staff and promotes and appreciates all victories, big and small. I can share many examples, but one that stands out was a difficult case on her unit that involved the participation of a lot of different specialties and multiple staff members' assistance at the same time. It was a very emotionally overwhelming case.

Kym was the solid rock, the true support who not just spearheaded her team but stepped in and helped the patient get the needed care. She spent a lot of time before and after the task was completed to prep and support everyone. She is a true leader. She is one of the most compassionate, involved, and empathetic nurse managers I have ever worked with. She is an incredible advocate for nurses in our unit and for her patients. She is extremely attentive to patient needs and works hard to support staff so they can continue to give excellent care to patients. Kym is immediately at the bedside for any patient with an issue. She personally rounds on each of the patients to ensure their needs are met. She is available to her staff even when she is outside of the hospital and I have seen her respond to staff concerns on weekends and outside business hours.

Kym works hard to support the nurses on 5N in taking care of a patient with psychosis who was very interpersonally challenging. He was on the unit for several weeks, and this took a toll on nurses as they worked to provide him with compassionate care. Kym worked tirelessly to keep morale up, to provide emotional support, and to attend to the patient’s needs. At one point, he needed to have his hair cut to help cure a case of resistant lice, and Kym took it upon herself to carefully work with him to cut his hair. This act went above and beyond what is typically expected of a nurse manager, and throughout, she showed him the utmost respect and compassion.

Kym’s work to create unity and joy at work among her staff is unparalleled, from celebrating birthdays to supporting staff’s extracurricular passions and activities (for instance, supporting a staff member’s passion for baking by ordering special cakes). Kym truly shines as an energetic leader and champion for patient safety. Her kind approach to working with staff and new nurses helps to invigorate the unit with pride for keeping patients safe, including avoiding HAI, falls, and other patient safety challenges. Kym shows the utmost professionalism and pride in teaching and shows grace even under extreme pressure.