I was a patient in early June 2023 to deliver my first child.  As with any first-time parent, I was nervous yet confident in the team at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center.  My induction went slowly, but finally, after two days, the team said I was going to be ready to deliver vaginally.

At that point, I was exhausted, scared, and unsure how I would muster the strength to deliver our son. Our day shift nurse came in to introduce herself, and I was immediately at ease with Diane S.  She was calm, and confident and took time to get to know me and my husband amongst the chaos of the day.  She was exceptional, thoughtful, and knowledgeable.  She thought of the smallest kindnesses that made delivery more comfortable, wipes to clean myself after 2.5 days in bed, confidence in the process and explaining what would happen, and literally tending to my every need. It was as if she was my personal nurse who truly cared about me as a person, almost like family.  

When things got intense after delivery, she advocated for me, and I could trust that between her and my doctor, I would be just fine. She stayed after her shift to make sure I was set up and stable and could hand off to the the post-partum nursing team even though it made her late to a family event.

Even over a month later, I think so fondly about Diane and all that she did to help bring our son into the world and keeping me safe during delivery.  I wish every patient could have the opportunity to have Diane as their nurse, she truly is an amazing professional and a wonderful person.