A mother brought in her less than 1-year-old daughter to be seen in the ED and had her two young sons with her as well. The boys appeared to be 5 and 7 years old. Carmen was the assigned nurse for the room, and I watched her go above and beyond to not only provide care for the patient but to help the mother with her children.

At one point, while the mother took her sons to the bathroom, Carmen was charting while holding the baby, who appeared to be totally at ease. Carmen never got distracted from her other patients and never asked for additional assistance or support, but she did provide a level of compassionate care that exceeded any reasonable expectation. What started as a potentially stressful experience of bringing an infant to an emergency room looked to be made infinitely easier by Carmen's proficiency and professionalism, combined with her relaxing demeanor and cheerfulness.