Karen Helcl
November 2023
Karen
Helcl
,
RN
Obstetrics
Astera Health
Wadena
,
MN
United States
From then on, she was heaven-sent. Her calming personality and constant assurance were just what both my husband and I needed.
Karen was working during the night I went into labor. She was not the primary OB nurse that shift, but she was working the med/surg floor at the time. My husband and I were scheduled for an induction, but our daughter decided to make her arrival all on her own, and we ended up coming in a little after midnight. As an employee of Astera Health and having worked with all the nursing staff for the past three years, I had no doubt we would be in excellent care.
What Karen provided for us was exceptional! This was my first baby, so I was feeling all the emotions one should when they are about to give birth and become a parent for the first time. My husband, who is not a big fan of hospitals or the idea of anything that goes on in one, was probably more nervous than I was at the time. How Karen fits into our birth story goes something like this. My labor and delivery nurse had finished getting me admitted and had been monitoring my progress for a couple of hours. She stepped back into our room and asked me if it was all right if Karen popped in to see how things were going. The answer was easy; it was “absolutely she can!” From then on, she was heaven-sent. Her calming personality and constant assurance were just what both my husband and I needed. Even though I was a patient at the time, I could not set my own nursing habits aside as I kept checking in on my husband to make sure he was doing okay. Karen really stepped in and helped him as well. Coaching both of us, reassuring us everything was going as it should and that we would very soon meet our baby. Or what we thought would be soon. Soon, as in, by the end of the night shift. Shift change came, and we still had no baby, but we were close. Karen asked if we would mind if she stayed for the birth. Once again, another easy answer, of course. Yet again, thinking it would not be long before the baby arrived. Fast forward three hours and approaching the 10 o’clock hour, we finally met our baby, a little girl. Karen stayed the entire time. Even though her shift ended, and she clocked out at seven, she stood at my side, next to my husband, making the entire room calm and inviting as we welcomed new life into the world. Only those who have worked twelve-hour night shifts would understand the exhaustion they can bring.
For Karen, she not only worked an entire twelve-hour shift the night we came into labor and delivery, but she also had to go home and find some time to sleep, only to come back the same night and do it all over again. There is no way I could have gone through the birthing process without her. My husband would agree with me, for his sake as well. Karen knew exactly what to say and when to say it. She is a profound nurse, and Astera Health is the luckiest organization to have her on their team. We had an outstanding group of nurses and our provider present, but I cannot think of my daughter’s birthday without thinking of Karen. She is a true DAISY Nurse.
What Karen provided for us was exceptional! This was my first baby, so I was feeling all the emotions one should when they are about to give birth and become a parent for the first time. My husband, who is not a big fan of hospitals or the idea of anything that goes on in one, was probably more nervous than I was at the time. How Karen fits into our birth story goes something like this. My labor and delivery nurse had finished getting me admitted and had been monitoring my progress for a couple of hours. She stepped back into our room and asked me if it was all right if Karen popped in to see how things were going. The answer was easy; it was “absolutely she can!” From then on, she was heaven-sent. Her calming personality and constant assurance were just what both my husband and I needed. Even though I was a patient at the time, I could not set my own nursing habits aside as I kept checking in on my husband to make sure he was doing okay. Karen really stepped in and helped him as well. Coaching both of us, reassuring us everything was going as it should and that we would very soon meet our baby. Or what we thought would be soon. Soon, as in, by the end of the night shift. Shift change came, and we still had no baby, but we were close. Karen asked if we would mind if she stayed for the birth. Once again, another easy answer, of course. Yet again, thinking it would not be long before the baby arrived. Fast forward three hours and approaching the 10 o’clock hour, we finally met our baby, a little girl. Karen stayed the entire time. Even though her shift ended, and she clocked out at seven, she stood at my side, next to my husband, making the entire room calm and inviting as we welcomed new life into the world. Only those who have worked twelve-hour night shifts would understand the exhaustion they can bring.
For Karen, she not only worked an entire twelve-hour shift the night we came into labor and delivery, but she also had to go home and find some time to sleep, only to come back the same night and do it all over again. There is no way I could have gone through the birthing process without her. My husband would agree with me, for his sake as well. Karen knew exactly what to say and when to say it. She is a profound nurse, and Astera Health is the luckiest organization to have her on their team. We had an outstanding group of nurses and our provider present, but I cannot think of my daughter’s birthday without thinking of Karen. She is a true DAISY Nurse.