My mother was on the Women's Wing for three days following her hysterectomy. At the time, I was only a couple of weeks away from my due date with my first child. When I came to visit my mom at SCH, she informed me that she was scouting out the nurses to decide who should be there for the birth of her first grandchild. We laughed as she questioned each nurse who came in to care for her and told them they were auditioning for when I came in in labor. When she was discharged, she told my sister and me that Jackie should be there to deliver my baby as her kindness and sense of humor had been hugely uplifting to my mother as she recovered from major surgery. Not having met Jackie, I knew already she must be fantastic since she had won my mom over.
Only two days after my mom was discharged my water broke and we ended up back at the hospital sooner than we had expected. As we walked onto the wing, my mom was thrilled to see that Jackie was working and flagged her down insisting she be there for the birth of my daughter. It didn't take me long to realize why my mom had been so impressed with Jackie. Her ability to provide compassionate care was recognizable as soon as she walked into the room. Shortly after my arrival my contractions quickly escalated in pain as well as timing. Jackie was quick to step in for my nervous husband and help me to calm down and evaluate what would help me the most. All through my labor Jackie's calm demeanor and kind words and actions helped me to keep going. She was with me every step of the way including the three hours of pushing it had taken before I was finally able to hold my baby girl.
Working in healthcare I truly understand the importance of making a good impression with patients. I am so grateful that Jackie treated my mom and was able to then be there for me for one of the most difficult and amazing experiences of my life. Her kind words and actions are something I will never forget when I think of the birth of my child. Her kindness and knowledge throughout my stay at the hospital helped me to dispel many of my fears and answer many of my questions during my first few days as a mother.
As if treating two members of my family wasn't enough, we knew that my sister Katie would also be delivering her baby at South County three months later. We joked with Jackie that she would have to be there when Katie gave birth to finish the trifecta! And as luck would have it, Jackie arrived for her shift an hour before Katie's daughter was born, and she once again got to be there for one of the most important moments of our lives.
I have had the opportunity to be a patient of Jackie's as well as watch the care she provided for my daughter, sister, and my niece. I truly believe that she exemplifies all of the best qualities of a nurse. My family and I have such admiration for the quality of nursing Jackie provided us with for some of the most important days of our lives.