"When I was a nursing student and was in my first round of OB, I was assigned a little newborn named Baby Bupp. I didn't know anything about babies, and he looked so tiny, fragile and red-faced. Every time I went to pick him up, he screamed and I might have screamed a little too! I remember my nursing instructor, Miss Emma Flynner, coming over to ask me how I was doing. She had such a gentle way about her and I didn't feel nervous. I told her that I didn't know what to do with little baby Bupp or any baby for that matter! She turned to me and said these words which I never forgot and I remember them with all my patients when I'm struggling. She said, 'Brenda, whenever you don't know what to do with a baby, just love the baby. That's as good a start as any."

"My nursing instructor was an incredible mentor and leader. I admired her for her ability to engage the class and teach hands-on, providing constructive and positive coaching and guidance. She was extremely knowledgeable and shared so many of her nursing experiences with us as real-life examples. I looked up to her as a professional but also as a person. She was kind and caring, always genuinely interested us as students first, then our success as nurses."

"My current manager and I have worked together for about two-years and I really look up to her as a people leader and clinician. She is probably the most professional and ethical person I've ever worked with. She never gossips, speaks poorly of others, or treats patients rudely. She leads by example and is someone who never asks others to do something she isn't willing to do. She's patient, mentors new nurses, and never gets annoyed when you ask her a question. She's very fair and treats all employees equally. She really has set an amazing example of what a good leader looks like, and I aspire to be more like her."

"I was blessed with a phenomenal mentor when I transitioned to a highly specialized outpatient department. There was a lot to learn in the department, and the majority of it was essentially new to me. My mentor was incredible and from the very beginning developed a strong working relationship with me. She built a wonderful rapport with me and helped me to feel comfortable in the environment. She welcomed me by letting me ask as many questions as I could come up with and at times would question me throughout my training to spur on more conversation and critical thinking. I remember feeling very confident and informed by the end of my orientation and hoping that someday I would be able to be as good of a mentor to someone else as she was to me."