Justina is the kind of leader every nurse hopes to work for and every organization hopes to have.

What makes Justina exceptional is that she leads with both strength and heart. She has created a culture where nurses feel genuinely supported, valued, and empowered to succeed. Many of us are newer nurses, and under her leadership, we have grown into confident, capable clinicians because she never stops investing in us. She teaches, mentors, encourages, and pushes us to be our best while always making us feel safe enough to ask questions, make mistakes, and continue learning. She sees potential in people before they see it in themselves.

Justina embodies servant leadership in every sense of the word. She never asks her staff to do something she would not do herself. Despite the demands of being a director, she is consistently present on the floor, helping wherever she is needed. Staff regularly see her assisting patients to the bathroom, collecting labs, starting IVs, helping with admissions, performing skin checks, placing difficult Foley catheters, toileting patients, and answering call bells. No task is beneath her because patient care and supporting her nurses always come first. Even during the busiest and most overwhelming shifts, she remains calm, approachable, and fully present beside her team.

Her impact goes far beyond clinical support. Justina creates an environment where people feel heard, respected, and cared for as human beings, not just employees. She checks on us personally, encourages us to pursue higher education and career advancement, celebrates our successes, and supports us through difficult moments in life. Nurses consistently describe her as someone who “always has our back.” That kind of trust and psychological safety changes everything about the way a team functions.

The culture she has built on MSTU and Observation is remarkable. She successfully helped build these units from the ground up, many of them staffed heavily with new graduate nurses, and transformed them into positive, collaborative, high-performing environments. Her leadership sets the tone for how we care for one another and our patients. Because she leads with compassion, accountability, professionalism, and positivity, the entire team strives to do the same. She makes people proud to come to work.

What stands out most is that Justina does not lead from an office. She leads shoulder-to-shoulder with her team. Whether it is a nurse needing guidance during a difficult situation, a patient needing reassurance, or a staff member simply needing someone to listen, she shows up every single time. Her presence brings calm to chaos and confidence to those around her.

The impact of her leadership is visible not only in staff morale, retention, and teamwork but also in the compassionate care our patients receive every day. She reminds us what nursing leadership is supposed to look like: selfless, authentic, compassionate, hands-on, and deeply human.

She is not only an exceptional nurse leader but also a mentor, advocate, role model, and source of inspiration to everyone fortunate enough to work beside her.