I’ve had the privilege to be cared for by Julie on two separate occasions. The first time, my blood pressure was elevated at work, and I couldn’t get a hold of my doctor's office. I called labor and delivery, and she answered the phone. She had a voice of calmness and reassured me that she would get in-touch with my doctor, took my name and phone number, and said she would call me back. Sometimes, people genuinely do forget to call back and follow up because, let’s face it, as a nurse, things happen, and you can just forget. But she did everything she said and called me back within 10 minutes. She assured me that if I needed to come in, she was working until 7 PM and she would make sure everything was OK.

I eventually made the decision to come in, and she took great care of me the whole time I was being checked out. Any question I asked, she had an answer throughout the whole time. Her demeanor was sweet, positive, encouraging, and reassuring. Everything eventually checked out OK, and she told me not to hesitate to come back if I needed to!

Eventually, it was my induction day, and I went in at midnight. I asked the night nurse if Julie was going to be working the morning shift; she came back and said Julie was absolutely on the schedule, and I requested her as my nurse. Julie came in with a huge smile. She was so excited to see me and even recognized me. She told me that she had the privilege of caring for me and that she couldn’t wait to meet the baby. We both had expectations that she was going to deliver the baby and that they would be besties, lol. She got everything settled and checked on me at least every hour; she made sure I wanted or needed for absolutely nothing.

When I started having pain, she was quick in action to see what she could do to help ease it. We eventually decided it was time for me to get my epidural. She never left my side afterward. She knew I was terrified of something happening, so she stayed and let me calm down. She never acted like it was an inconvenience or that she was too busy. She kept me informed of everything going on. Her shift was eventually coming to an end, and before leaving, she made sure to tell me bye and wish me the best because she was going to be off the next few days and not able to see me again. I was bummed she didn’t get to deliver the baby, but she did deliver exceptional care. She is absolutely precious. She has the patience of a saint. She is right where she is supposed to be, and I hope her being nominated for this can spread a little bit of happiness. It’s not every day you come across an exceptional nurse, and she was just that… thank you, Julie, for the amazing care that you provided!