To truly understand why Cindy is a DAISY Nurse, you must understand how overwhelmed you can feel as a new mother, and as a mother of a child in the NICU. There can be many doctors at once trying to explain things to you, and you are trying to keep everything they say in your mind. She helped me with this by answering any questions that I still had. She would do this by pulling up X-Rays and Scans to thoroughly explain the situation better. If there were questions she didn't know the answer to, she would consult the appropriate person to find the answer.
During my son's stay at the hospital, I had to split my maternity leave in half, so I had time to spend with him when he came home. It was very hard to leave him at the hospital and head back to work, but it gave me a sense of security to have Cindy as his nurse. I knew that she would advocate for him even though I wasn't there. She gave me comfort that she would do anything to get him the best possible care.
One day he was struggling to breathe and she recognized that and went to the Unit Director and got him the help he needed immediately. She was also an important resource for the other nurses that he had because she knew him so well. They could go to her if they had questions about him. She helped me to become an advocate for my son. I am knowledgeable about medicine, so sometimes it is hard to figure out the questions I should be asking. She helped me find my voice. She would also take time to sit and play with him. A nurse plays many roles during the day. They are there to inform the parents, treat the patients, and act as a conductor of information from doctors to patients. She played all these roles and went above and beyond in everything she did.

Note: This is Cindy's 2nd DAISY Award!