"As an emergency nurse, I worked a night shift during the winter when a bus accident brought in 10 critically injured patients. When we received the call that the ambulances would show up, I went into immediate triage mode with our current patients. This mode continued when the accident victims arrived, and I prioritized those with the most traumatic injuries first and worked down the line. I try to remember that I am one person who can only truly focus on one task at a time. In these situations, this sage advice keeps me focused on the patient in front of me and not letting my mind wander to the other patients."

My most stressful situation was when a baby was found unresponsive in a mother's room. I was not the one who found the baby, but I heard the commotion and came to see what was wrong. When I realized what was happening and the staff was in the nursery with the baby, coding it. I went to be with the mother. No one was with her. I sat with her as she cried hysterically, not knowing if her baby was alive. It was traumatic for all involved. I learned in this situation that I am stronger than I think. My team is stronger than they think. I was proud of how our team worked together that day and, after the incident, took care of each other. I put my own emotions aside and focused on the mother and then later on my coworkers, making sure they felt supported in any way I could. I will bring compassion and calm in very stressful situations. I made people feel seen and comforted in a bad situation, and I know that I could provide this to your team and patients if hired.