Amy is the heart and soul of the surgery department. As a nurse, she is truly the best co-worker you could ever ask for. She is brilliant, but in an unassuming way. She is kind and soft-spoken, but strong and confident in her skills and knowledge. She is an absolute wealth of knowledge; if you need to know anything about OR, Amy knows. Whether it's where an instrument is located in the supply room, what a doctor's messy writing says, or identifying an abnormality during a procedure, Amy is going to have the answer. The flip side of that is, for her decades of experience and mastery of all things OR, she never, ever belittles or answers questions in a condescending way. You can always find Amy helping her co-workers, no matter the task, such as putting up supplies or checking equipment. She is truly an irreplaceable asset to the surgery department.

As a patient, you could not ask for a more compassionate nurse. There have been two instances where I myself had to have surgery at Merit Health Natchez. Amy went out of her way to comfort me and remind me that she would not leave my side during the procedures and that I was safe and in good hands. I am not the only patient Amy has treated this way. Every day, she goes above and beyond with her calm demeanor and gentle spirit to soothe our patients' nerves and provide the very, very best care for them when they are vulnerable and depending on the surgery crew to protect them. She is a patient advocate through and through and always speaks up if any issues arise before, during, or after the procedure.

When I think about the traits of a DAISY Award recipient, I think about Amy's kindness, compassion, leadership, and knowledge. She truly encompasses them all.