In May 2024, my pregnant wife experienced preterm contractions before 32 weeks and was hospitalized at Shady Grove’s Labor & Delivery unit. It was a very scary 36 hours for us, but a beacon of light and comfort made our experience infinitely better: our nurse Jana, who diligently and tirelessly looked after us during the course of two shifts. Jana went above and beyond the call of duty for us from the moment we set foot into our room. As part of her medical treatment, my wife had to undergo a magnesium sulfate infusion for 24 hours. Jana walked us through the process in detail, explaining precisely what would happen, step by step. She brought a fan into our room to mitigate my wife’s heat sensations. She kept a watchful eye over my wife by her bedside, showing tremendous compassion. Jana was there whenever we needed her. I cannot count the number of times she came by to help when sensors needed adjustment, equipment started beeping, my wife had to use the bathroom, we needed food or drink, or I nervously pointed to the vital sign tracking on the computer screen, asking for explanations, which she patiently and helpfully provided. As best as she could, Jana provided clarity on what we could expect in terms of timeline and next steps. She was extremely proactive and communicative throughout our entire stay at the hospital. Amid all the uncertainty, this helped us so much in terms of feeling more comfortable. We felt a really strong, personal connection to Jana as she shared some of her own personal background and story with us.

When we were discharged, we couldn’t help but give big hugs to each other as we had grown so close in just two days. Jana has trained to be a competent nurse, but her heart is full of compassion for her patients, and it shines through in her sunny disposition and the way she distributes care. We wholeheartedly and strongly recommend Jana for the DAISY Award, because she is highly deserving of recognition for her tireless efforts to create amazing patient experiences. Jana is a true godsend. At a critical time, her compassionate and heartfelt care made all the difference for us. We can’t wait to see Jana again when our baby daughter arrives this July. She embodies pure excellence and everything that is great about Shady Grove and its mission. 

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Jana was instrumental in my family and I having a beautiful birth story. She met my husband and I with kindness and respect. I am a woman of color and was anxious to come to the hospital and particularly nervous for how I would be treated. She eased all of those fears with her kind spirit and knowledgeable support. As we prepared for our c-section, there was a delay in the procedure start time. Jana communicated with us every time there was an update to ensure we were included in the process. She checked on me during the pre-op time and shared her own birth story as a way to ease my fears. When it was time to begin the procedure I felt a wave of panic. I was nervous to walk through the doors to the OR.

Jana held my hand and comforted me with affirmations of strength. She told me I’d be okay and my baby would be okay. She wiped tears from my glasses when I started crying. She provided comfort and genuine concern. She also invited my husband to have skin to skin in the OR with our baby. He was able to greet our daughter and comfort her when I was unable to do so. We had a beautiful birth and it was absolutely due to her nurturing care. Birth is a vulnerable time for many families, and nurses like Jana make all of the difference.

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Jana was my day nurse when I was giving birth to my first child. She truly made the difference in my labor and delivery and postpartum experience. There came a time during my labor when the pain was so intense I became scared, anxious, and crying about whether I would be able to endure it or sit still for an epidural. Jana came into the room when I was experiencing this emotional storm, and she was calm, compassionate, and caring in her response. She comforted me through my fears- telling me I could do this; it was going to work out; and she would do everything in her power to help me get an epidural. She acted quickly to get me prepared for the epidural and got the anesthesiologist in the room. Jana's positive affirmations and encouragement helped me through the difficult experience of severe pain and fear, and her quick actions ensured I was able to get an epidural before the anesthesiologist went to a scheduled C-section.

Furthermore, Jana went above and beyond the call of duty by visiting me on the postpartum unit after one of her shifts. She was not the nurse who helped deliver my baby, so she wanted to check in on me and see how I was doing after the birth. When she visited me, I was in the middle of an emotional crisis because I blamed myself for making a bad decision about feeding my infant formula the night before (I won't go into details, but it was not a good situation). I felt like Jana was my guardian angel sent by God in that moment to restore my confidence as a new mom, encourage me that I made the best decision given the situation, and reassure me it would all be OK.

Furthermore, she took the time to help my baby latch so I could breastfeed. I am still amazed how she came over to a different nursing unit, as she was leaving the hospital off shift, to visit me and see how I was doing and then intervene when I was in crisis. Jana is an incredible, kind, caring, and compassionate nurse who went above and beyond to care for me, my husband, and baby, and to follow-up with us during our hospital stay. She was the nurse who made all the difference in my birth experience, and I am forever grateful.