Pictured here is Jo-Ann Burke, CNO with Walter Edwards, RN

Walter was nominated by the parent of one of his patients who was extremely impressed with the special care he provided to her daughter and by his superior bedside manner. Her daughter has had 12 surgeries at CHKD, so she was familiar with the hallmarks of a great nurse. It was the little things that set him apart from his peers…offering her emotional support for an upcoming procedure, answering her questions, being attentive to her child’s needs with frequent checks on her status. She assumed these characteristics were the result of years of clinical experience and was shocked to learn that he had been a cable installer for the past 25 years and had been a nurse for less than a year! The subsequent discussion about his decision to change his career path and his encouraging words “You’re never too old to learn” and “If I can do it, you can do it” inspired her to return to school. The mother met with a counselor the following week and is now enrolled in a Medical Office Assistant program. In the mother’s own words: “Some people touch you in a way that will change your life forever. Walter has done this for me.”