I am honored to nominate Caroline Weaver for the DAISY Award for Leadership. Caroline is an exceptional nurse leader, as evidenced by the outstanding metrics for her Cardiovascular and Thoracic Step Down Unit. Under her leadership, the unit consistently ranks in the Top 10% for Patient Experience and has been recognized as an AACN Beacon Unit, reflecting a healthy work environment and quality care. She is recognized for achieving "zero harm" with no HAIs on her unit and continues to maintain a low nurse turnover rate.

Caroline's leadership philosophy is rooted in the belief that "We on CTSU are a family. If I take care of the team, they will take care of our patients. We all take care of each other." This approach has fostered a supportive and collaborative environment, where team members feel valued and motivated to provide the best care possible. Caroline is often found working in the nursing station to be accessible to her team and is thoughtful about being present at night to have dedicated time for the night shift. She is a great partner and collaborates with the physician and allied health team to ensure they are using evidence-based practices. This included establishing a unit protocol for AFIB so the nurses could quickly respond and treat the patient. She advocates for the resources needed to support her team and provides them with the "why's" to help them succeed with organizational goals.

Caroline's support for her team has led them to be recognized at both the hospital and organizational levels for excellence awards. During healthcare week, she celebrates her team with daily events, including superlative awards that are a favorite event for her team. She supports the growth and development of her team, with many promoting up into leadership positions on the unit while others are supported on their path to the ICUs. Caroline's team completed a PDSA for the unit's falls, and the interventions will be spread across ORMC. She supported her team's idea to try a new product and helped them advocate for it on the unit.

Caroline is a transformational leader who shows authentic compassion to her team and the patients on their unit. Her peers respect her, and she often serves as a mentor and preceptor for new nurse managers. Caroline's dedication to her team and patients is truly inspiring, and I believe she is highly deserving of the DAISY Award for Leadership.