From the very start of change of shift and introductions, Melissa’s bedside manner and warm personality eased the minds of both myself and my husband as new parents. Melissa cared for us on the postpartum unit for two night shifts in a row back in June. The first night she spent helping us develop good techniques for breastfeeding and was incredibly patient and helpful. We learned so many things from her we still use today in our feedings and she stayed in our room to answer our many questions without feeling rushed. If she said she’d be back to check on us, she always was in a timely manner.

On the second night shift, my daughter grew fussier and stopped wanting to feed altogether. In the early morning, Melissa offered to help burp her so we could get some rest, and upon further assessment, she escalated care up through the ranks. After lab draws, x-ray, and other tests, our daughter was transferred to Strong’s NICU by late morning. If it wasn’t for Melissa’s diligence, attentiveness to my daughter’s change in baseline, listening to our concerns, and advocating for us, it could have been hours later before our daughter received the higher level of care and interventions she needed.

Months later, I was finally able to track down Melissa’s last name to nominate her for this award. She sticks in our minds and our hearts as a very kind, warm, compassionate, caring nurse and we were so lucky to have been in her care during our postpartum stay at RGH.