I'm a neurosurgery resident here in Toronto and I just finished my third year of training. I am writing to highlight the exceptional contributions of one of our nursing colleagues in the Toronto Western ED, Karen Chen, RN.

Over the last three years of my training, including the past four months at TWH, I have had the privilege of working closely with Karen. She stands out as one of the strongest emergency nurses in the city. Her knowledge, efficiency, and dedication have been instrumental in managing our critically ill neurosurgery patients, and I can confidently say that her swift actions have helped save multiple lives.

Karen is renowned across the hospital for her exceptional nursing skills. For instance, when patients have difficulty with IV access and even ICU or anesthesia are unable to succeed, we call Karen, and she is always able to get the IV in. Beyond her clinical expertise, Karen is compassionate with her patients and a caring colleague. She often organizes bubble tea deliveries or bakes cookies for her fellow nurses and physicians, fostering a supportive and positive environment.

Most recently, Karen helped me deal with a very difficult family discussion surrounding a sick patient who was brought in directly for neurosurgical assessment to decide if we were going to offer surgery or not. There was a difficult family dynamic, but I felt that Karen treated the patient and family with dignity and respect in light and made them feel comfortable to have the difficult conversation. I believe that Karen has always gone above and beyond for her patients, and she is a natural leader in the emergency department.