Clinical Skills: 
Mary Jo was confident and competent in her skills. She educated us new parents on how to feed, swaddle, and care for our newborns. Not only that, but she was resourceful with her time. She had other patients, and yet she was ALWAYS on time with delivering our donor milk (this ended up being so helpful because we didn’t realize until after Mary Jo that this wasn’t standard) and never made me wait for pain medication. When we saw her, I sighed of relief because I knew nothing would be missed and we would be able to learn from her again. Her assessments of the babies and me were thorough, and she never missed a detail. When she did the 24-hour checks on the babies, I knew that if anything were off, she would look into it and not dismiss it. Her hand-offs to the night nurses were extremely thorough and collaborative, and at the beginning of her shift, she always set expectations for the day and what was planned. This was not something we saw from another nurse during our stay, but was pivotal to our positive experience at Salem Health. 

Compassionate Care: 
Mary Jo shines with compassion. I am almost two weeks postpartum with twins, yet still many things stand out to me about my postpartum experience with Mary Jo. This may seem small, but I was recovering from a third-degree tear that made it extremely difficult to move around or sit. Without asking, she ordered me a waffle seat and a donut pillow to help relieve pressure so I could sit. Every nurse that came in commented on the waffle pillow, saying they did not even know the waffle seat existed. Mary Jo took the extra step to make sure I got one, and I still am using it now. When sanitation had not visited our room and the bathroom was looking more like a crime scene than a proper bathroom, Mary Jo went in herself and cleaned up when my husband and I were too tired to move. My husband is a very private and reserved man. I have never seen him be as comfortable with a healthcare professional before and it was because of Mary Jo that he was able to ask the questions about caring for the babies that he desperately wanted to know but had been too shy to ask before. We still talk about this often. She encouraged us to get rest, something we desperately needed. She put a sign on our door asking people not to disturb us and would tell us the times she would be in the room to do various things so that we knew we would get stretches of undisturbed time to sleep. 

Exemplary Service: 
To highlight what made Mary Jo stand out, there are a few things that really made a difference to us and our family. 1. She set expectations for the day at the beginning of her shift. She wrote it down with times on the white board, so we knew as well as other staff members knew what things were happening and when. 2. She took the time to get to know us and treated us like friends. I know she was busy, but she never made us feel like she was rushed or did not have time for us. 3. She anticipated our needs before we had to verbalize them. Bringing the babies their donor milk on time so we did not have to ring our call light when the babies got hungry, bringing me supplies for my comfort, such as pillows and ice packs. And never making us wait long when we would ask for specific things. 4. Education. She took the time to give us as much information as she could regarding the babies. We are first-time parents and did not have a clue how to care for a newborn. She had a way of educating us that made us feel empowered and ready to take it on rather than making us feel inadequate or scared. I still do not know how she did it, but I remember how calm she made both of us feel when it came to caring for our babies. 5. Kindness. She radiated kindness to us and the babies. I truly felt like she was taking care of us in our most vulnerable state and for that I will be forever grateful. 

Continued Commitment: 
Lucky for us, we got Mary Jo as our nurse two days in a row. Because of this, I am confident that everything I previously mentioned is standard care for Mary Jo. She was consistent and the quality of her care remained high throughout the entire shift. I truly valued her as a professional but also as a person. I encountered a lot of nurses during our stay, and none impacted me the way Mary Jo did. So much so that I am almost two weeks post-partum with twins and sleep deprivation at an all-time high, and I am STILL making it a priority to nominate Mary Jo for this award. Hopefully, that tells you how much we appreciated her care. Her sending us a follow-up thank you card with a personalized note was the cherry on top for her going above and beyond for us. I hope Salem Health recognizes that they have an amazing nurse who should be highlighted for her exceptional care.

Note: This is Mary Jo's 2nd DAISY Award!