Melissa Woodson
December 2012
Melissa
Woodson
,
RN
NICU
Exempla Saint Joseph Hospital
Denver
,
CO
United States
My husband and I want to nominate Melissa Woodson, RN, for a DAISY Award. From the night Melissa admitted our premature baby to the NICU to preparing for discharge over nine weeks later, she has been a constant source of encouragement, knowledge, and comfort. We have had a wonderful experience with the NICU staff, but Melissa exemplifies the qualities we recognize in the nursing staff as a whole: intelligence, kindness, and love. We always looked forward to the nights she worked.
Melissa is sincere and positive. Every night she took care of our son, she excitedly commented on the progress he was making - something that can be hard for worried parents to see. In addition, we genuinely liked her! Chatting with Melissa was sometimes the highlight of my day. When discussing our baby with Melissa, it was impossible not to be hopeful, no matter how hard the day had been. She was one of his most ardent cheerleaders. Melissa has cared for hundreds of babies in her career, but we knew that our baby mattered to her. When she was working, we had no doubt that he was under the care of someone who knew him, believed in him, and thought he was adorable, and liked to snuggle him. As new parents who walked out of the hospital every night for months without our child, there is nothing more important.
In addition to her cheerful attitude, Melissa is a wealth of knowledge and a tireless advocate for her patients. She often cited recent research when answering our questions - and even when our questions had a difficult or non-concrete answer, she made us feel comfortable with it. She didn't hesitate to try new ideas and would make suggestions to physicians - which they frequently took. I once overheard another nurse say, "I'm not brave enough to make a suggestion, but Melissa is." She is also passionate about breastfeeding and has learned extra information about it in order to help moms like me get off to a good start.
Melissa Woodson is an exemplary nurse and is truly deserving of recognition for her skill. Please consider honoring her with a DAISY award.
Melissa is sincere and positive. Every night she took care of our son, she excitedly commented on the progress he was making - something that can be hard for worried parents to see. In addition, we genuinely liked her! Chatting with Melissa was sometimes the highlight of my day. When discussing our baby with Melissa, it was impossible not to be hopeful, no matter how hard the day had been. She was one of his most ardent cheerleaders. Melissa has cared for hundreds of babies in her career, but we knew that our baby mattered to her. When she was working, we had no doubt that he was under the care of someone who knew him, believed in him, and thought he was adorable, and liked to snuggle him. As new parents who walked out of the hospital every night for months without our child, there is nothing more important.
In addition to her cheerful attitude, Melissa is a wealth of knowledge and a tireless advocate for her patients. She often cited recent research when answering our questions - and even when our questions had a difficult or non-concrete answer, she made us feel comfortable with it. She didn't hesitate to try new ideas and would make suggestions to physicians - which they frequently took. I once overheard another nurse say, "I'm not brave enough to make a suggestion, but Melissa is." She is also passionate about breastfeeding and has learned extra information about it in order to help moms like me get off to a good start.
Melissa Woodson is an exemplary nurse and is truly deserving of recognition for her skill. Please consider honoring her with a DAISY award.