Emory Burda
May 2025
Emory
Burda
,
RN
LDRP
Ascension St Vincent's Southside
Jacksonville
,
FL
United States
She never let me lose faith or hope in myself, and she supported me, affirming that everything would be okay.
I think Emory embodies the entirety of the concept of the DAISY Award from her shift of 7 am-7 pm on my newborn's date of coming into this world. I was already in active labor when she came to see me Sunday morning as my nurse for the day, and little did I know how much she would be my entire support system alongside my boyfriend throughout these next 13 hours.
From the moment she introduced herself, she made me feel safe and comfortable through my contractions and with the unlimited questions that I had to ask her at the ripe time of 7 am. This was just the beginning because I was not willing to have an epidural until later on, and she was telling me how much she supported my decisions and was so quick to inform my doctor of my thought process and keep me informed and in the loop the entire time. It felt as if I had a piece of mind through her that I never expected.
So, throughout the day, my water broke, and the doctor's staff was there for me in every critical moment I experienced. I began pushing, and she took over being my guide when my doctor had to leave, so it was just me, my boyfriend, and Emory for three hours straight, guiding me and putting in work through blood, sweat, and tears. We were running into some very concerning complications, and with her honesty, she sought advice from other RNs who brought their opinions on how to get my baby out. She never let me lose faith or hope in myself, and she supported me, affirming that everything would be okay. She also helped me realize that we had created this teamwork naturally and that I felt incredibly comfortable putting in the work. I knew that 7 pm was coming up, and I did not want to lose her cause I knew her shift was coming to an end, but I wasn’t even close to being done with giving birth. She told me and my boyfriend that she wasn’t going to leave my side until after this baby was born.
She kept the lightheartedness and positivity in the room when I was giving up; she made my anxious boyfriend laugh and made him see that everything was going to be fine. As time passed, there she was, way past her shift, still by my side, holding my hand and telling me how proud she was of me. But honestly, I couldn’t have done it without her. I really couldn’t have. She is the reason I can enjoy my new life with my boyfriend and son. She has left an indelible imprint on my life, and I will tell my son about her one day.
From the moment she introduced herself, she made me feel safe and comfortable through my contractions and with the unlimited questions that I had to ask her at the ripe time of 7 am. This was just the beginning because I was not willing to have an epidural until later on, and she was telling me how much she supported my decisions and was so quick to inform my doctor of my thought process and keep me informed and in the loop the entire time. It felt as if I had a piece of mind through her that I never expected.
So, throughout the day, my water broke, and the doctor's staff was there for me in every critical moment I experienced. I began pushing, and she took over being my guide when my doctor had to leave, so it was just me, my boyfriend, and Emory for three hours straight, guiding me and putting in work through blood, sweat, and tears. We were running into some very concerning complications, and with her honesty, she sought advice from other RNs who brought their opinions on how to get my baby out. She never let me lose faith or hope in myself, and she supported me, affirming that everything would be okay. She also helped me realize that we had created this teamwork naturally and that I felt incredibly comfortable putting in the work. I knew that 7 pm was coming up, and I did not want to lose her cause I knew her shift was coming to an end, but I wasn’t even close to being done with giving birth. She told me and my boyfriend that she wasn’t going to leave my side until after this baby was born.
She kept the lightheartedness and positivity in the room when I was giving up; she made my anxious boyfriend laugh and made him see that everything was going to be fine. As time passed, there she was, way past her shift, still by my side, holding my hand and telling me how proud she was of me. But honestly, I couldn’t have done it without her. I really couldn’t have. She is the reason I can enjoy my new life with my boyfriend and son. She has left an indelible imprint on my life, and I will tell my son about her one day.