i’ve always talked about you being so unbelievably thoughtful, i am often touched. people would either smile or laugh, but thing is, i wasn’t even kidding.

when we got those chocolate bars you brought back from your vacation in hawaii, and i said, “C is really something else. how can she remember all of us when she is supposed to have a great time with all those gorgeous beaches and her family? when i’m on a holiday, i think of no one but myself.”

you didn’t have to go through all the troubles proving yourself to us. you didn’t have to bother about little things. birthday cards, valentine’s day treats, handmade christmas stuff…the list seems almost endless. you didn’t have to, but you did anyway. you have that gift. that innate gift of desire to make other peole feel special.

touching as that gift maybe, i have to admit that it wasn’t the only reason why you were a great nurse manager. i assume i do not have to elaborate. the tears shed by your satff on your last few days on the unit were probably enough. after all, it is not everyday that people cry their eyes out just because their nurse manager is leaving.

i have worked under your management for over five years. i may have entertained rebellious thoughts about what the management wants from us, but i have never questioned your ability to do your job well. you had plans, and you have what it takes to implement those plans.

i can only imagine how difficult it was to keep the balance between being loyal to your superiors and being dedicated to your staff, but i can say you handled every difficult situation with admirable grace. you knew where to stand, when to be firm, when to listen, when to speak up. that was not easy, but you were that pillar that kept our unit stable despite the problems and the changes.

THANK YOU!

you reminded me that nursing is a calling. a calling that one can do well, even in a manager’s office. the way you put your heart into keeping our unit compliant, and at the same time a warm place to go to not only to earn money but to meet our personal career goals, speaks volume about your personal and professional values. you reminded me that nursing, in any field, done in the right frame of mind, can inspire us to be better human beings. i think that is an unmeasurable accomplishment, whether you acknowledge it or not.

we were lucky to have you. your resignation, although reasonable and understandable, was, on our part, an undeniable great loss. i hope you know that.

they say “imitation is the greatest compliment”. i don’t know about that, but if i may say so, despite the fact that i have no dreams of becoming a nurse manager, if ever that dream changes and i end up wanting to be one in the future, i want to do it the way you did. i want to be a great nurse manager just like you.