RN Mary Rose Kempf has worked at NMCSD since October 1998, just about as long as I’ve been alive. Throughout her extensive and accomplished career, she has cared for countless patients, mentored hundreds of corpsmen and nurses, and provided valuable teachings to all. If you’ve stepped foot on 2 East, the inpatient pediatric ward, Mary Rose has probably taught you something. RN Kempf is a Certified Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Nurse (CPHON) and is the only certified pediatric chemotherapy-biotherapy provider course instructor at this command. She teaches the extensive, 2-day course that equips our staff with the knowledge, resources, and confidence to safely administer chemotherapy to our pediatric patients. She has also taught and presented this course to nurses at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth. RN Kempf holds sessions to review cancer diagnoses and disease processes, tailoring them to 2 East’s patient population to help her staff connect the complex texts to our own experiences. I had the pleasure of working with RN Kempf on 2 East for 4 years. She taught me to be a chemotherapy nurse after she helped me get on my feet as a new nurse. Oncology is an ever-evolving field, and RN Kempf does her absolute best to ensure her nurses are ready for what’s on the horizon. Our pediatric clinic and floor were preparing to administer a chemotherapy agent, which the hospital had never given before. This medication, called Blinatumomab, a continuous, 28-day infusion, is now a standard of care for some Leukemia patients. She created an extensive go-by to ensure her staff would be educated and prepared to step up to this unprecedented challenge. RN Kempf consistently goes above and beyond to ensure her staff has the tools to succeed in an extremely complex, stressful multi-disciplinary field. For RN Kempf education doesn’t stop at clinical staff, she has used her skills to help many, many newly diagnosed cancer patients and their families. Her care and expertise come together in these sensitive moments to give guidance to families as their worlds are turned upside down. I’ve watched RN Kempf bring ease to worried family members with her knowledge, and providing comfort like that is invaluable. RN Kempf is the backbone of our clinical education as nurses on 2 East. These actions are a testament to RN Kempf’s service as an educator and why I believe she is deserving of the DAISY Educator Award. Thank you.