During my 9 months of pregnancy I was told by countless moms how the nurse that would care for me in labor and delivery would be one of the largest factors in determining whether or not I have a good experience. So, I began praying (as many first-time moms do I'm sure) that everything would be in order when I went into labor especially in regards to getting "the perfect nurse." Even I didn't realize how much God was listening, because on May 26th we gave birth to our first child under the care of a nurse who is nothing short of perfect.
We were scheduled to be induced and from the moment Ashley came into the waiting room and called our name I was relieved to find a cheery personality in her, a warm smile, and a confidence in what she was trained to do; however, as the day wore on my husband and I, as well as our extended family, became increasingly aware of the treasure that we had in Ashley as our nurse. She was 0% business and 100% personal, and nothing showcased that quality more than her care for us during one of the scarier moments in our labor process.
Our labor had been going smoothly, but as luck would have it, during Ashley's 30 minute lunch break our baby's heart rate began dropping. The nurse covering for Ashley put us in every position she could, but the intense concern for our baby's life and unfamiliarity with the nurse trying to help us left me filled with anxiety and fear. Moments later our door flew open as Ashley came running in. My relief to see her was inexpressible. She immediately recognized how frightened I was, and before doing anything else grabbed my IV-lathered hand, kissed it and said, "I'm here. It's okay." Once they got me into position that stabilized our baby's heart rate she sat in the room with me for over 30 minutes telling me after every contraction that our child was doing great and stable. Once she left the room to tend to other patients, she still came in every 15 minutes to let me know our baby was still okay. She knew exactly what frightened new parents needed after a scare like that--- reassurance and empathy.
We were with Ashley throughout her entire 12 hour shift, and having still not delivered she came in to give us the greatest gift a labor and delivery nurse ever could. She had rearranged her schedule with another nurse so that she could stay with us until we had our baby. She had already worked an exhausting 11a-11p shift and was willing to stay on an additional 4 hours. All of this for us. Me, my husband, our parents and siblings found ourselves in tears for her thoughtfulness. It was then that I knew that God had heard me, and sent me his best.
It's the strangest thing to have an intimate experience with someone, only to leave each other's sides and life just hours later. But nominating Ashley is the least we feel we can do. Because even through the scare of a dropping heart rate and an inevitable c-section, our memory of that miraculous day is unscathed due to a nurse that captured every quality a patient dreams of, and a God who answered my prayer in sending her to us. Thank you, CoxHealth, for recognizing quality when you interview it.