Mount alumna Lily Chimenti, seen here donating to a blood drive on the Mount campus in 2018, was recently nominated for the 2021 Nurse of Excellence award.
In the two years since she graduated from Mount Saint Mary College, Lily Chimenti of Stony Brook, N.Y. has been nominated for two honors in her field: the 2020 Rising Star Award and the 2021 Nurse of Excellence Award.
At the Mount, Chimenti was a Nursing major with a minor in Theatre Arts and Music. She currently works in Oncology at Huntington Hospital where she was nominated for these awards by her unit managers.
"It feels wonderful to know that my efforts are noticed, appreciated, and now awarded," Chimenti said. "One of the greatest feelings is knowing that what you do truly makes a difference. To have been nominated for this award touches me beyond words."
Chimenti explained that her main priority as a nurse, besides ensuring that her patients are safe and healthy, is to help them maintain a sense of home while they are in the hospital.
"Within 12 hours, I strive to go from a complete stranger to a source of light, love, and warmth. As much as I mean to them, they mean to me," she noted.
To stay inspired to be a great nurse, Chimenti said she must remember to also take care of not just her patients, but herself as well.
"You can't water the flowers for other people with an empty watering can," she said. "Rest and relaxation is a must."