Preet was consistently a positive asset to the unit with a thirst for learning and a boundless, upbeat energy, uplifting coworkers and patients alike. The pediatric emergency room is a tough place to be a student nurse and/or a new nurse -- we move at a breakneck pace, seeing every medical condition and type of patient under the sun, and ED nurses need to have the skills and knowledge to treat everything from runny noses to life-or-death emergencies -- and as a level one trauma center and world-renowned children's hospital, the Johns Hopkins PED is even moreso. Our patients are often complex and critical, and our work environment is intense.

Throughout her time here, Preet not only kept her head above water but also displayed a consistent commitment to excellence in care. She worked hard to tend to the psychosocial needs of patients and families, never losing sight of the fact that underneath the task list and medical concerns, there were people who were terrified, confused, traumatized, in pain, and possibly experiencing the worst moments of their lives so far. Many families made a point of thanking her for being so caring and attentive, some with tears in their eyes. After helping distract him and comfort him during an extensive 45-minute facial laceration repair, one little boy even asked her to come home with him because he liked her so much!

Our department has an ongoing Press-Gainey patient experience survey, and in a month of largely negative feedback from families discharged from our ED, Preet and I were the only staff recognized in a positive comment from a parent praising us for being amazing and easing the anxiety of their daughter. Preet has been an outstanding nursing student, and as her perceptor, I am so excited to see her survive and thrive in an emergency medicine setting as she gets to share that big heart of hers with patients, families, and coworkers and grow into that truly amazing nurse I know she's going to be.