Cristina is an incredibly compassionate nurse who always takes amazing care of her patients. The reason why I’m nominating her for this award today is because of the care she gave to a young patient on our unit.

This patient was scared and anxious after being in the ICU for over a week with a mystery diagnosis. Understanding how scared this young patient was, Cristina decided to purchase scented soaps, lotion, and nail polish with her own money. The next day, she bathed the patient, washed and combed her hair, and spent over an hour painting her fingers and toes with nail polish.

She did all of this just to make her feel better. She also continuously advocated for this patient and even encouraged her to mobilize for the first time. The family asked for Cristina to be her nurse anytime she’s on shift. Cristina is the definition of “placing people at the heart of what we do.”