Paola's extraordinary care actually dates back to 2017, when we had our first encounter with her as our nurse in the antepartum section of Labor and Delivery. At 22 weeks pregnant with our twins, with fluid levels in the amniotic sacs very low, and experiencing several episodes of bleeding, my wife was admitted to Baptist for what we hoped would be a several months-long stay.
Paola was the nurse on duty that day and was assigned to our room, and what we remember more than anything else was the way she treated us- her gentle demeanor, warm smile, and contagious positivity helped ease our fears and concerns in what was otherwise a frightening and life-altering day. She never hesitated to help in whatever way she could as we suddenly found ourselves as Baptist's newest residents, and she encouraged us to turn our cold, bland room into our home-away-from-home. Whenever Paola was around, my wife felt at ease, comfortable, and confident that she wasn't just being attended to as a patient, but more importantly, was being cared for as a person.
Though we'd only known her for a short time, Paola wept with us at the loss of our twins. She continuously checked up on us until discharge, always doing so with her same gentle demeanor, warm smile, and positivity.
A little over a year later, upon learning we were pregnant again with our little girl, Paola swapped shifts with fellow nurses to ensure she would be on duty the morning of our scheduled C-section. She may have been the happiest one in the room that morning. After our daughter was born, as Paola rolled her away with me to the Admit Nursery, it was her crying the tears of joy, not me!
And so it came as no surprise to us that when we reached out again to let her know that the C-section for our son had been scheduled, her response was simply, "I know. I already put in my request for that shift." She couldn't have been happier to be there with us again to welcome our son, and even shared that she was up earlier than usual that morning out of excitement!
The DAISY Award recognizes and celebrates "the remarkable care of extraordinary nurses." We have had the privilege of receiving that remarkable care from this extraordinary nurse on three separate occasions. Her skills, competencies, and professionalism speak for themselves. Paola's greatest impact on us wasn't as much the nursing care she provided, but more so the consistent love that she showed us, her gentle demeanor, her warm smile, her contagious positivity.
From the painful sting of tragedy to the overwhelming joy of new life, Paola walked alongside us every step of the way, not just as "our nurse," but as part of our family. That's what great healthcare looks like, and that's why Paola stands out and is a true DAISY Nurse.