Carmen is an amazing charge nurse, clinical supervisor, and mentor. She is an excellent example for all nurses. We have a patient in PICU who has been here for several months following an absolutely devastating accident. The family understandably has expressed feeling misunderstood, frustrated, and tired of being in the ICU.

Due to low census, we were asked to consolidate this single patient with the others in the CVICU, requiring a room change before the end of the shift. Carmen calmly and respectfully delivered this news, which was not well received. The family raised their voices, were argumentative, and swore at Carmen. She remained a calm and respectful leader throughout this uncomfortable interaction. She didn't become a doormat, but also refused to raise her voice or allow herself to sink to the same level. Her decorum reminded me of the quote, "When they go low, we go high".

Upon returning to the nurses' station, she refused to talk badly about the family, only saying that she loved them and still cared about them (despite the fact that they said awful things about her to her face). We all know how much work Carmen has put into helping this patient and her family behind the scenes for the past few months, and that she cares so deeply for this patient. That makes it especially hurtful when they are not just unappreciative, but verbally abusive.

Carmen went above and beyond to help them throughout the rest of the shift and during the transition to the new room. She continued to have uncomfortable, repetitive, hard conversations with the patient's family ad nauseum, because they felt that they needed to vent. Carmen's drive to help patients and improve their quality of life is truly inspiring, especially during this time when nursing burnout and fatigue are so prominent. I aspire to be the kind of nurse that Carmen is one day.