My 9-week-old daughter had to have a procedure done which brought us to the PICU afterward, where she was sedated and hooked up to a ventilator to assist her breathing. As a first-time mom, my heart was on the verge of breaking with worry and unknowns. I had not left the hospital in days. However, the morning after her first night in the PICU I felt comfortable leaving for a couple of hours because McKenna (and all the many amazing nurses on shift) was very kind and caring with my mama's heart. She explained all that was going to happen while I was gone, and she reassured me that she would call me with an update after the doctors did their rounds. She did all that she said she would, and then some.

After my daughter was taken off the vent and extubated, McKenna helped soothe my daughter while I tried to nap. McKenna also made sure I was getting my breastfeeding-mom meal boxes. Her bedside manner and level of communication were everything a parent could hope for in a nurse. The fact that I had the peace of mind to leave the hospital should speak volumes more than words ever could. McKenna was awesome and I’m so thankful that she was my daughter’s nurse!