I was 40 weeks pregnant and sent from clinic to be induced due to heart rate fluctuations in the baby. I was started on Pitocin and had not advanced very far in the 6 hours before Cheryl came on duty. As soon as she came in, she asked if we were ready to have a baby. She started teaching me some simple natural techniques to get labor started and boy did it work! I immediately felt strong contractions and needed an epidural shortly after.
During the epidural Cheryl held me and took care of me. She knew just the right way to touch and speak to me. After the epidural, the baby had a few decelerations and you could see that the physician was concerned. As a nurse, I knew what was happening, but my husband is non-medical and was getting nervous. Cheryl explained what was going on in a way that my husband could understand and helped to ease his concerns. Throughout the night, Cheryl was always there for me, explaining what was happening in a calm, educated manner so that my husband and I felt prepared for the events as they occurred. I can only hope I am as good of a nurse to patients as Cheryl was to me. She is very talented, a great communicator, an advocate, and an amazing support system.