Stephanie is one of the first nurses that took care of M when he was transferred here, and we knew after one shift that we connected with her and she cared so much for our son, not just as another patient. She is extremely thorough and detailed, every time we come into the unit, M is so well taken care of, not just medically, but physically as well. She is always by his bedside, checking on his every move; when he was big enough, she was the one to suggest to bring him out of the isolette, to start light recycling, and sleep trained him like a normal baby.
She is always so vibrant, uplifting and full of energy, even sometimes she had to deliver not so great news about his day, she still made me feel that much better. On his one-month birthday, together with another nurse, they made sure that we get the twin brothers' foot and handprints, we were so touched because we thought it couldn't be done. She typed out a tip/note for other nurses that take care of M for the first time, so they know what he likes in order to make sure he is comfortable.
When he went through his first surgery, Stephanie was so diligent in her care that she knew something was not right because of the way he was breathing. And following his second surgery, she gave us so much confidence and soothed our fears that second surgery was fine. There are many, many other small moments that she touched us with her love for M, so when she is on with him, I know he is in great hands, and I don't worry at all.
We are so very lucky to have Stephanie as his core nurse. She has made such a difference in our 5.5 months of NICU life. She is a nurse that definitely needs to be recognized for her passion, commitment, dedication, and love for her patients/babies.