Sam demonstrates compassion, a positive attitude, and teamwork above and beyond every day. She says "thank you for all your work" in a sincere, grateful manner every time we work together. I have been a PT for 13 years and she exemplifies the kind of nurse others should strive to be. She remains calm in chaos and never loses control outwardly. She is extremely empathetic and the patients can see she truly wants to help them heal.

One day when I was in charge I received a call from a daughter of a patient who was recently discharged. Initially, my first reaction was that there might be a problem. I was pleasantly surprised when the daughter began the conversation stating that it's easy to complain, but her motto is "to share when a person does something extraordinary." She then began to tell me about Sam. Sam was by far the very best nurse her family had ever had. The daughter also talked about how her dad would simply light up when Sam came into his room, and that she was just as kind to the daughter and her other sisters as she had been with their dad. The daughter mentioned that Sam always simply "took the time" with her dad and their family.

Though my initial reaction to receiving this phone call was in anticipation for something negative, it was no surprise to me the glowing comments given about Sam. There are qualities about her that just put her above the rest, make her exceptional, and are simply those that you cannot teach. Even as a new graduate, Sam immediately showed maturity, strength, enthusiasm and a strong sense of teamwork. And now, these characteristics have only grown: in the year and half that she has been here, Sam has already become one of our core charge nurses. She also continually strives for improvements in systems and the environment, shown through her many posts to our learning board. She has been a wonderful addition to our already wonderful crew here on P3CD.

These traits go beyond MMC's work environment and into her personal life as well. Besides the great work Sam does every day she is here at MMC, Sam has grown up volunteering for the Nevosh medical missions group. Her latest trip was to help in Panama with her father who is a physician in Rhode Island.

I feel that Sam is the epitome of an extraordinary nurse and is fully deserving of the DAISY Award. She is a bright light that needs to be shared. The phone call from the daughter only reiterated what I already knew, and I think it is time that she is recognized for all she does.