I am Christin's manager. It is not very often that surgery staff are able to make connections with patients due to the limited time we have with them. Christin came to my office to tell me about a patient she had cared for during a thoracic case with the doctor. She went to pick up her patient from Day Beds. He was apprehensive and nervous; he confided in Christin that his prognosis was not good and began to cry. She told me that they cried together, and she assured him that we would take the best care of him. He was afraid that he would not make it through the surgery (he was younger than most of our patients), she assured him that "today" was not "his day". The surgery was extremely complicated. She checked on him after surgery, per his request. She met his wife, and he began telling her stories about being a firefighter and about being a veteran. He had asked his wife to bring a token to give to Christin as a thank you for taking such good care of him. His wife handed Christin a military coin. These coins are near and dear to the hearts of all people who have served in the military. It was an extreme honor that Christin was presented with this coin. She showed the coin to her father (who is a veteran), he gave her one of his coins to give to the patient. Christin began checking on the patient each day and celebrated his recovery achievements with him and his family. It is rare and special for a surgery nurse to make a connection with a patient like this. This patient really touched her heart - she said "this" is why I became a nurse. This was a genuine connection made in spite of difficult circumstances. When a patient touches a surgery nurse's heart, she will never forget him. I applaud her commitment and dedication. It makes me proud to be her manager. 

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My husband had an esophagogastrectomy recently. There were complications with more areas of cancer, so he had a colon resection shortly after. Christin was his Surgery nurse. She made him feel at ease and calmed his fears about his surgery. Not only was she an amazing nurse during surgery, but she also came to check on him every day that he was in the hospital. She literally made my husband's day with her kindness and going above and beyond to see him daily. She is what a real surgery nurse should be. She was an absolute blessing to us and an angel. She truly is a DAISY Nurse. I am a nurse myself, and you can really tell when someone has a heart for nursing, and Christin has a huge nursing heart.