Paola was truly amazing and helped both me and my husband during our induced labor. She really took the time to not only care for me and my baby physically but also care for us all emotionally and mentally. I had a complicated pregnancy with a partial placental abruption at 27 weeks and was very nervous about labor and potential complications. She regularly updated me on the status of any bleeding, whether it was normal or not. She also took the time to explain everything that was happening as part of the induction and the various options we had as the labor progressed (or didn't progress as expected) including the associated benefits and risks. She took the time to answer all our questions and it always felt like we were her only patients as she took the time with us that we needed (although I know that we were not her only patients). Paola also took the time to provide us with education on different labor positions and various labor practices. She not only focused on the physical aspects of labor but also focused on mental wellness and ways to calm your mind, which was very helpful when things got stressful and painful. She also gave me permission to communicate when things were too painful or uncomfortable (especially with the cervical exams) and took the time to explain all the various pain management options.

Paola is also a truly amazing advocate for her patients. When labor wasn't progressing as planned and there were discussions of an option to break my water that the midwife described as "risky", but the midwife was pushing as the next step, Paola came in and could see that I was upset and fearful. Paola took the time to discuss not only the option that the midwife provided but also various other options that we could select since she could see that we were clearly not comfortable choosing a risky procedure at that time in our labor. She took the time to learn what we would be comfortable with and then took our concerns and wishes to the midwife and my doctor. Her advocacy for us gave us the time and experience we needed instead of proceeding with a procedure that we weren't comfortable with. She also advocated for us to have my doctor do the procedure if labor hadn't progressed since I trusted her. Her response to our concerns made the experience much less stressful and we were able to proceed with a less risky labor.

Also, when her shift was done, her hand-off to the next nurse was amazing. She not only provided the night shift nurse with the medical overview and physical status, but she also provided the nurse with an overview of my concerns and fears related to bleeding and previous complications. It was amazing to see her take the time to make sure the next nurse was aware of my medical and emotional status.

Paola really takes the time to understand her patients' needs (physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually, etc.) and works hard to make the experience everything that they want it to be. I know that if we didn't have Paola as our nurse during labor we wouldn't have had the experience that we had and wouldn't have felt as comfortable and cared for as we felt. I also feel that we would have potentially made a decision we weren't comfortable with to progress labor without Paola as our nurse. She understood my fears and concerns and how the complications of my pregnancy affected my mental state during labor and she really took care of me, my husband, and our baby. I can't imagine what our labor would have been like without her and I am so thankful that she was our nurse. I have worked in a healthcare setting for many years and definitely feel that Paola embodies what the DAISY Award represents.

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During my wife’s pregnancy, we were in and out of the hospital throughout the second and third trimester due to complications, therefore we’ve had the pleasure of being cared for by a large number of Cedars Sinai L&D nurses. Paola stands as a powerful example of exceptional nursing. She first impressed us with her diligence in getting every piece of information during shift change and making sure to clarify anything that was skipped or didn’t sound 100% right.

Paola is clearly experienced. With experience comes routine, but we were treated as anything but routine. She made us feel like her first patients. She made us feel like she was dedicated to our care. She has probably heard our fears 1,000 times, and dealt with 100 patients who have been through exactly what we have and been asked the same questions over and over, yet she was still 100% present with us. Nothing was by rote. She listened fully and completely, never cutting my wife short because she already knew what was going to be said and exactly how she’d respond.

At every step in our care, she thoughtfully explained what she was going to do, what my wife would feel, and all the whys and hows. She made two people who endured a difficult pregnancy and were extremely nervous about delivery feel at ease. This was the gift of care she gave us. She didn’t just address the symptoms of a faceless patient, she cared for the entire human through an intensely human and complicated process of birth. Watching Paola work was a masterclass in what exceptional nursing should be.

Paola is an exceptional person, a phenomenal nurse, and was a gift we are intensely grateful for.