Hanna was my nurse during the birth of my son. I had been in labor for about 24 hours when she was assigned to me, having started the induction process about 8pm the night before. I liked to say that my baby was 'sleepy' during my third trimester, having failed many initial NSTs which carried into my labor. When introducing herself, Hannah must have picked up on that anxiety as she not only performed the basic set of introduction questions but also spent extra time explaining to us what she was seeing on the monitor. She informed us what she looks for, what the baby currently looked like, what a concerning reading would look like and what she would do when that happens. This eased my nerves but also built the trust I needed to ensure the baby, and I were in good hands. My baby definitely tested that trust, as numerous times, Hannah had to come in and adjust my positions to wake him up and ensure labor was moving along the way that it should be, always ensuring she had consent to touch and move me when needed.

Late in the night a flurry of activity happened in my room and tests were performed which led to an emergency C-section. I later found out that, true to her word, this was because Hannah flagged concerning fetal heartrate patters to my doctor. He was born blue, requiring oxygen in the delivery room which meant every second counted. I truly believe that Hannah is the reason why I am able to cuddle my little one while writing this nomination. She saved his life. I feel grateful that Hannah was my nurse that night, and other individuals going through labor are lucky to have such a great nurse advocate.