Krystal M Smith
August 2025
Krystal M
Smith
,
RN
Women and Children's Center
Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital
Plattsburgh
,
NY
United States
Krystal is the kind of person you’d want, not only as your colleague and friend, but also caring for your laboring loved one.
The pain was overwhelming, the kind that takes your breath away and makes time blur. A patient had just arrived at University of Vermont Health Network – Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital (CVPH) in the final moments of labor with her second child. There was no time for an epidural and no time to prepare.
That’s when Krystal Smith, RN, took her hand.
“I know it hurts, sweetie, but try to take all of that yelling and put it into the push,” the patient recalled Krysal telling her gently. “I’ve been here. It hurts so bad, but the only thing that will make it stop is this baby being born.”
The patient said those words, spoken with empathy and strength, became a lifeline. A few pushes later, she welcomed her perfect baby boy into the world.
“Krystal held my hand and kept telling me how amazing I was doing. When the pain stopped, she told me she was proud of me. That meant everything.” She explained.
Smith’s calm presence, her ability to deliver difficult news with grace and humor, and her unwavering support during one of life’s most vulnerable moments left a lasting impression on her patient.
“Every time I tell the story of my son’s whirlwind birth, Krystal’s name is mentioned,” she adds. “I truly don’t think I could have done it without her.”
It’s this compassion—unshakable, instinctive, and deeply human—that led the patient to nominate Krystal Smith for the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses.
Krystal received the award during a surprise ceremony in front of her colleagues with the Alice T. Miner Women and Children’s Center (WCC). Her colleagues say she doesn’t just help deliver babies—she delivers strength, peace, and memories that will be cherished forever.
“Krystal is the kind of person you’d want, not only as your colleague and friend, but also caring for your laboring loved one,” points out Colleen Pennington, BSN, RN, RNC-OB, Assistant Nurse Manager for the WCC. “Her compassion, calm presence, and wealth of experiences bring comfort and confidence to every patient and family she comes across. The DAISY Award is a beautiful reflection of the extraordinary nurse she is.”
That’s when Krystal Smith, RN, took her hand.
“I know it hurts, sweetie, but try to take all of that yelling and put it into the push,” the patient recalled Krysal telling her gently. “I’ve been here. It hurts so bad, but the only thing that will make it stop is this baby being born.”
The patient said those words, spoken with empathy and strength, became a lifeline. A few pushes later, she welcomed her perfect baby boy into the world.
“Krystal held my hand and kept telling me how amazing I was doing. When the pain stopped, she told me she was proud of me. That meant everything.” She explained.
Smith’s calm presence, her ability to deliver difficult news with grace and humor, and her unwavering support during one of life’s most vulnerable moments left a lasting impression on her patient.
“Every time I tell the story of my son’s whirlwind birth, Krystal’s name is mentioned,” she adds. “I truly don’t think I could have done it without her.”
It’s this compassion—unshakable, instinctive, and deeply human—that led the patient to nominate Krystal Smith for the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses.
Krystal received the award during a surprise ceremony in front of her colleagues with the Alice T. Miner Women and Children’s Center (WCC). Her colleagues say she doesn’t just help deliver babies—she delivers strength, peace, and memories that will be cherished forever.
“Krystal is the kind of person you’d want, not only as your colleague and friend, but also caring for your laboring loved one,” points out Colleen Pennington, BSN, RN, RNC-OB, Assistant Nurse Manager for the WCC. “Her compassion, calm presence, and wealth of experiences bring comfort and confidence to every patient and family she comes across. The DAISY Award is a beautiful reflection of the extraordinary nurse she is.”