Joe went out of his way to listen not only to our needs, but our words. Because he listened, on numerous occasions he helped us as parents navigate how to communicate our needs in a healthy way. He cared enough to sit and listen to our highs and lows that come with bringing new babies into the world. He showed us great compassion and professionalism at a time we needed it most and encouraged us to see the resources needed to be exactly the parents that our children need us to be. Don’t underestimate the high level of care, knowledge, and compassion Joe brings to the table.

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I delivered my first child at Longs Peak Hospital in August of 2021. Overall, all of the nurses helping with my labor and delivery were wonderful. All went well with my delivery and they transferred us to a recovery room where we stayed for the next couple of days. I personally struggled with anxiety and depression even before I became pregnant and once the craziness of labor settled a bit, the reality that I would be responsible for this precious little human started to sink in and it was very quickly becoming overwhelming (and that made it quite scary for my husband as well). We were ready and willing to learn all we could to best take care of our new baby but the weight of it all was almost too much. That is about the time we met Joe, our angel nurse.

I know most new parents go through fear and anxiety to a degree and that supporting new parents is just "every-day life" for nurses in the birthing center but the fact that it could be easy for a nurse to unintentionally dismiss our concerns makes Joe's exceptional care for us all the more meaningful. I will never forget my first impression of him in his tie-dyed rainbow head bandana and matching crocs. I had only female nurses up until this point and when our current nurse introduced us to Joe, honestly my anxiety cranked up a notch. How could he understand what I was going through? But I could not have been more wrong. Joe spent the next several days orienting us into the new world of parenting with more expertise and genuine care than I ever could have imagined. He calmed my anxieties about being a new mom in a way that somehow perfectly built up my confidence in this new role that was thrust upon me. He also provided the research facts and data that my scientist husband needed in order to feel at ease with taking charge of this tiny human. Joe cared for my newborn and my physical needs above and beyond expectation. With his expertise in lactation experience in the NICU and life experience of being a father, I felt like there was literally nothing Joe couldn't help us with or guide us through.

Joe taught us that being an Extraordinary Nurse is about so much more than taking vitals and giving medications; he truly changed us for the better and prepared us for this new chapter of our lives better than we ever could have dreamed of. Leading up to my labor and delivery I had been praying that the doctors and nurses who would care for us would be able to help and support us through the fear, anxiety, and stress to enable us to succeed as new parents and Joe was literally an answer to my prayers. We will always look back on our time at Longs Peak Hospital, forever grateful to our angel nurse, Joe.