When you come to work each day, you expect to have good days and hard days. Our unit is unique in that parents have almost 9 months to plan and imagine what their experience is going to be like. They have high expectations and rightly so. It is very scary when a child is born premature and has to be rapidly separated from their parent. The first time the parents see their child, they may have tubes coming out of every orifice and machines beeping. They are frightened and worried. The child that they have been dreaming about now lays helpless in a bed. This nurse is one of those amazing nurses who not only has trained and has the expertise to provide amazing care, but she creates a connection with the parents. She is courteous, kind, and full of energy. She takes the time to countlessly repeat the same information over and over so the parents can process what is going on. She is the first person who will respond to any ask big or small.

Recently we called a rapid response on a mom who was deteriorating after a c-section. The baby was a term infant who had been safely delivered for an hour and was being cared for by the father in the room. This nurse was quick on my heels to help provide emotional support for the dad and our staff. Through her interventions, we were able to concentrate our efforts on the mom, while she made sure that the baby was safe and that the father was reassured and abreast of what was going on with his wife.

The next day, it was all hands on deck for our unit. While this nurse was working the screening table, we delivered a 23 week baby. True to her nature, the minute she completed her shift and was relieved of her duties, she came upstairs to our aid. Every room was full, we had numerous women in labor. She didn't hesitate to make sure that all was stable before she went home. This is true of her nature time and time again.

A mother wrote: Dawn helped is out so much. She definitely made an impact and for that, I am incredibly grateful. The way she taught my husband and me how to take care of our preemie was amazing. She goes above and beyond for the babies she takes care of. She has so much information that is so helpful and I thank her so much for that. Her attitude and love make her an amazing person. My husband and I love her passion and her personality so much.