From the first day of clinical I could see that Sam was an exceptional student. There have been numerous examples of his exceptional kindness and caring, attention to detail and follow through and analysis of the data used in planning care. Two of his patient experiences, however, really exemplify the values of the Daisy in Training award: the first patient was experiencing a natural delivery and had two doulas with her and the father of the baby. She was experiencing a very intense and painful labor and had requested to labor and deliver in a room with a birthing tub. The only working tub room was occupied, which greatly frustrated the patient, making her lose patience with the staff. She was quite vocal about her unhappiness and became quite a challenge to work with. Sam was not at all deterred by her demeanor - he jumped in and assisted her in using breathing and relaxation techniques, helped her to relax in the shower, brought her ice and blankets, and really bonded with her and her family and developed a trusting and compassionate relationship. All of the nurses were amazed at how Sam was able to communicate with the patient and comfort her and truly had a better relationship with her than they did! Unfortunately the patient did not deliver by the time we left that day and they were disappointed that Sam would not be there to help them with the birth.
The next patient that Sam had was a woman that had a very extensive medical and social history and as Sam approached her room, all he could hear was her screams. This, like the other patient he cared for, did not deter Sam at all. He could see how frightened she was and immediately began teaching her how to breathe through the contractions. As her labor progressed and she got closer to the birth, she began to lose control. Adding to her fear and anxiety was the large number of people in the room assisting with the birth. Sam knew how important it was to get the patient in control so she could effectively participate in the birth - he took the patient's hand and told her to look him in his eyes and focus on his face and breathe. He then coached her to push and when she began to lose control, he reminded her to look at him as he encouraged her to push. The patient delivered a healthy baby and both mom and baby did well - the mom was very thankful for all of the help Sam gave her throughout the experience. The OB resident and nurse made a point of coming to tell myself and Sam what a great job he did with this patient and how invaluable he was in calming and coaching the patient.  Sam has continued to excel with other patients and other staff have commented on how eager he is to learn, how engaged he is in the patient care and one nurse even said when she learned he was assigned to her patient, "Oh I am so glad I have Sam - he is awesome!" Now that is truly a DAISY in Training!