Maria works tirelessly to ensure her patients, patient families and her co-workers are taken care of each day. Maria is the steady calming presence on the unit. She is often sought out by her co-workers for her assistance and recommendations, and she takes the initiative to fix problems every single day. She will always step in when situations are tough and patients are either decompensating or beginning an end-of-life process and talk to the families with the utmost understanding, support, and caring nature. She will take on the emotional burden and not let anyone see just how much the situation may also be affecting her so that the family and patient are the focus. Maria also goes the extra mile and does things like cleaning out a patient's ears, clipping their nails, or just talking to the same family member over and over about their loved one without blinking an eye. Maria is an exceptional nurse and truly embodies each aspect of the profession.