Tara Simonsen, RN

I started the process of getting induced to deliver my son. I had an easy pregnancy, no complications, but the thought of induction and the thought of labor terrified me and always gave me a dreadful feeling when I thought about labor and everything that can go wrong. However, when I got to my room, I got blessed with 2 incredible nurses assigned to me. I met Tara and her trainee Hannah. Tara explained to me the whole process of how we were going to start the induction, what to expect, and the steps that would come after. She answered all my questions with a smile and never hesitated to tell me I was doing amazing, even on the simplest and smallest steps. Tara checked in on us constantly and talked to us like we were people and not a job or a task that needed to be handled. She smiled and laughed and genuinely seemed to love her “job”.
Unfortunately, I didn’t deliver my son with Tara as my nurse because her shift was over. I had another amazing nurse named Jamie who was also amazing. However, the next morning she was back and seemed to be just as in awe of my son as I was. She showed us how to bathe him and how to change him, and what to expect from procedures and the next few days for my baby's healing and my healing. Even after getting discharged, she had my husband pull into the heated ambulance bay so we wouldn’t have to walk outside in the freezing cold. She then walked us there and carried my son for me. After checking to make sure all was okay with his car seat base, she told me she was so happy to be a part of my care and gave me a hug and said we were gonna be amazing parents.
A few days later, we had to go back to the hospital for my son's weight check, and when I called, she recognized me, and we were able to see her again. She asked me about my mom and asked me about my baby, but more importantly, at the end of the visit she looked me in the eye and asked how I was doing. She asked how I was managing, and she genuinely cared. It wasn’t a question on a clipboard; it was her making sure I was okay. I told her I was doing okay, and she gave me a hug at the end of the visit and told me it was good to see me again. In conclusion, I think Tara deserves the DAISY Award because, in one of the scariest, most vulnerable moments of my life, she was everything I needed in that moment. More than a nurse, but a friend.