We talk a lot about nurses who give excellent care and compassion to patients who have complex cases but I want to recognize Alyssa for her work with a particularly challenging case. This patient had quite a lot going on in terms of medical complexity, compounding this with some behavioral issues that escalated throughout the day. This would cause some nurses to buckle under pressure. Alyssa showed extreme resilience. She leaned on her team to help her, and she reached out to other disciplines in order to make sure that she and her team members were safe when this patient became combative both physically and verbally. She kept attending physicians and leadership aware of what was happening, all while having to continually check in on the patient to make sure that they didn't harm themselves. The patient ended up being discharged, and Alyssa went through a difficult discharge with education included. She even took the patient down to the lobby and made sure the patient got into her vehicle, just to ensure that the patient truly was safe.

When I think about having this patient personally, I don't know if I would have been able to keep my cool and reach out the way Alyssa did. She went well above and beyond for a patient that was not only difficult medically, but also difficult emotionally. I think Alyssa is more than deserving of this award, not just for going above and beyond but for showing such courage and resilience while keeping her cool and professionalism the entire shift. Thank you, Alyssa, for all you do for your team and your patients. We are lucky to have you, and your patients are lucky to have such a great nurse.