The biggest influence was my grandmother who was a Cadet Nurse in World War II. I always admired her knowledge and the way she cared for me when I was sick, as well as my aunt (her daughter) who had Down Syndrome and multiple medical issues. She was always close with the women she went to school with, always maintained her license (for decades after she stopped working), and always bought the newest edition of the Merck Manual (that I would look through for hours when I was little). She was the first example, for me, that being a nurse means becoming a nurse; it is who you are. The biggest honor I received was being able to take care of her when she was on hospice, and also being the one that held her hand at the end. Her nursing pin and nursing school class ring sit in my jewelry box and her books from nursing school sit on display in my dining room hutch. I am always reminded of her and her influence she had on my career.