For as long as he can recall, Christopher Piller wanted to be a nurse. He was influenced by nursing care he received, as well as a compassionate streak he shares with his family. His mother attended nursing school and he has an aunt, a cousin and a niece in the field.

But when Piller graduated from high school in 1984, there were few male role models for him to follow in nursing.

“So I made excuses why I couldn’t do it, either,” said Piller, 46. “I took other jobs before I decided to work in a hospital to see if it was something I really want to do every day. When I hit 40, I decided to go for it.”

Piller started working as an emergency room technician at Athens Regional Medical Center and the experience confirmed what he already suspected: nursing was his calling. Last May, he graduated from Athens Technical College, and as part of his training he worked in various departments at the hospital.

Though Piller always planned on returning to the ER, a rotation in the postanesthesia care unit changed his direction.

“I thought the PACU  was very cool,” he said. “I’ve never worked anywhere where everyone works so well as a team. It’s seamless.”

Last September, a patient was rushed to Athens Regional Medical Center after a car accident and despite surgery, he died. About 30 friends and family members gathered in the waiting room, and the news devastated them.

The family wanted one last goodbye and Piller accompanied and prepared them for the scene.

“Emotions were high and several people were angry and upset, but Christopher was able to calm them down,” wrote colleague Anne Young in her nomination that was based on a letter from the man’s wife.

Piller also took charge when the accident victim’s wife collapsed. He sprang into action, put her in a wheelchair and rushed her to the emergency room, where he settled her in a separate room and brought another nurse to look after her. He talked the woman and her sister through the initial shock and stayed with them well after his shift ended.

“It all happened about 9 p.m. on the day before I was going on vacation, and I was supposed to get off at 11,” Piller said. “His wife was very sad and upset, and I helped get her admitted to the ER and found a nurse to take care of her. I couldn’t leave her.”

Piller’s willingness to stay with the family members during a moment of shocking loss left a lasting impression on them. Weeks after the accident, the thought of Piller’s strength and compassion made a positive impact on the family, Young said.

For Piller, it’s part of being a nurse. “It was really something I would do for anybody.”