I would like to say that my situation was complicated, and every single nurse and doctor I came in contact with was amazing. I would like to nominate Shelley because the care, gentleness, compassion, bedside manner, and love that she displayed were unmatched. Shelley took the time to get to know me (I was there for over a week), remember little details, and truly have my best interest at heart. Although our time there was traumatic, Shelley helped ease our fears. My daughter left the NICU almost two weeks after delivery, and that was almost a year and a half ago. To this day, I will think about the nurse who really changed my experience.

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Shelley was my nurse from 7 am to 7 pm on the day of my labor, and really turned around my whole experience. I came in the afternoon before, thinking I would be in and out for a quick check, and was (to my chagrin) admitted for an induction. This was not at all my plan, and I was feeling overwhelmed, tired, and very apprehensive about the experience. This is not how I wanted to feel in anticipation of the birth of my child, but I couldn't help it.

Shelley came in with a cheery attitude and introduced herself, and almost immediately made me feel much more comfortable with the day to come. She shared some personal information about herself to build rapport and encourage open communication, and it really made me feel like she and I were going to be a team in tackling my labor in the manner that I wanted! She offered so many suggestions about different positions, strategies, and other information about what was going on. She took into account my qualms about pitocin and made sure that I was comfortable with the dosage and the rate at which we increased it. She made sure that I was able to move about (as much as possible) during the day and was so encouraging and nurturing when things got difficult.

She put in extra effort to hook me up to a wireless monitor so that I could walk and move more easily. She supported me in my choice to get the epidural (which she never pushed on me, which I appreciated!) and made sure that the timing of receiving fluids and contacting the anesthesiologist was perfect! She helped me to communicate my desire for a lower dose of the epidural (which was the perfect amount) and helped to coach my husband to support me in various ways as well. She was right there offering physical and emotional support until the epidural was in, and before she left for the day, she made sure to see that I had everything I needed, didn't have any questions, and was introduced to my next nurse. The following day, Shelley stopped by my room to offer her congratulations, which was super sweet. As great as all of my other nurses were, Shelley's genuine kindness, commitment to meeting the emotional and physical needs of her patients (me), and positive and consistent communication really stood out and helped me to have a very positive birth experience. I am truly so grateful to have been in her care.

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Shelley could not have been nicer or more helpful to me, my husband, and our baby. When my boy was found to be flipped the wrong way, Shelley did not give up, trying three or four different techniques to get him to turn (which, thank goodness, he eventually did). Shelley made my husband and I ‘mocktails’ to enjoy while we waited to deliver our little miracle and kept me relaxed and in great spirits. We love you, Shelley!