Chad is the senior nurse on the night shift for the Inpatient Psychiatry Unit. Chad can be counted on to go above and beyond the call of duty in all aspects of his position. Admissions onto the unit come at all hours of the night and day. Recently, the unit admitted four patients overnight. While that might not seem like a lot to others, the admissions onto the inpatient psychiatry unit are lengthy, requiring over 12 consents to be explained and signed by parents in addition to completing the nursing admission process. In many cases an admission can take more than 90 minutes. As one can imagine, parents are often anxious about leaving their child not to mention struggling with the stigma of mental illness.

His peers commented that throughout the shift, Chad was encouraging and exemplified a "can do" attitude. He recognized that it was a team effort to get the admissions completed. When checking in with families over the following days, many parents complimented Chad on his ability to present the information, answer questions and put them at ease. His passion for caring for children with a mental illness comes through in his everyday work. As one family stated during rounding, "He treats us as if we were his only priority, making sure all our questions are answered."

Chad listens to and communicates with patients and families with kindness and respect while encouraging them to be involved in every aspect of their child's care. He is always patient when answering questions without seeming rushed or annoyed. He often tells parents to feel free to call if you wake up in the middle of the night. "We are here and want to ease your concerns."

Chad takes the time to problem solve and create a plan to ensure everyone on the unit will be safe throughout the shift. His peers remark that he is a wealth of information and no question is ever dismissed.