I was sent into the Labor and Delivery Unit for a 1 am induction. This was my first induction experience. The night shift nurse got me into my room and got everything started. Jessica came in for the daylight shift. She sat down and talked to me about what to expect and explained everything to me before it was happening. I was progressing very slowly which was extremely discouraging. However, she continued to remain positive and kept me going. My water broke and I went into active labor throughout the night. The next day Jessica was back and requested to have me again which I greatly appreciated because I really enjoyed having her the day before.
At the beginning of her shift, my son began having decelerations which caused them to stop the Pitocin. I was in a lot of pain and stopped progressing. Due to the more frequent decelerations and lack of progression, the doctor decided it was safer to go for a C-section. I was terrified and started crying. Jess sat down with me and emphasized that she would still be in the OR with me and in recovery. She answered all of my questions. I could not have done this without her support. It was her continuous support is that helped me through this difficult situation. She kept me updated the entire way through the process and stood by my side until I had my son in my arms and we were both doing well. I cannot think of anyone else more deserving of this award. Her compassion, hard work, empathy, and quick thinking, are what got me through that experience. Jessica walked into my room a stranger and left feeling like one of my best friends who was there to be my “support person” and help me through this challenging experience. That is extremely rare. West Penn is extremely fortunate to have her on their team. I cannot thank her enough.