In the joyous aftermath of the successful delivery of my first son, I was all too preoccupied with thinking of the well-being of our little one. Unbeknownst to me, a major bleed was brewing inside. It would only be an hour or so later that it became apparent, resulting in awe-inspiring actions and teamwork from my medical team to save me. After emerging from the operating room (and with 4 units of new blood among other measures), I received stellar support from our medical team to get me ready for the step-down unit. This all occurred between 7 and 11:30 PM and what a whirlwind it was. That night in Stepdown was rough. There's no sugarcoating the physical and emotional rollercoaster I had just been through. In waking the next day (though I probably slept less than an hour), I was greeted by Antonina Roglieri and her warm smile. She opened up by introducing herself and asking us some questions about myself and my husband to get to know each other better. If I'm honest, it caught me off guard initially because never before had a nurse taken such an interest in what I did for a living, how me and my husband met, and where we lived. She promptly reciprocated by sharing more about herself, her kids, her town, and how long she's been at the step-down unit. We learned how she loves the diversity of different challenges that she comes across, thereby constantly learning new things. It was clear she found true joy in continuous learning, the difficulty/reward of new cases, and of course helping people. This was just the beginning of our relationship with Nina. And spoiler alert, while our time together was probably only about eight hours or so, the impact Nina made on me and my husband was enough that it warranted me writing this appreciation. 

Let me tell you five examples of why Nina is worthy of The DAISY Award: 1) Nina took the time to explain everything (really, everything!) to us, such as why certain medications were being ordered and what is considered normal bleeding versus something that needs medical attention. 2) She gave me incredibly helpful and practical advice with detailed instructions on nursing, including several resources to look into afterward (they were all so great!) 3) Having incredible patience in walking me through step by step how to properly do postpartum self-care. Since this was not mother-baby, there were none of these supplies readily available, yet she chased them all down and somehow got them all! 4) With nothing more than her ever-friendly smile, she changed my sheets and clothes so many times it was hard to keep count. She could sense my fragility then, and fresh linens gave me an emotional boost. Little things but they made all the difference. Nina knows this and makes it her priority to get these little things right. 5) I felt like such a mess, but she never made me feel anything bad. On the contrary, she altruistically showered me with words of encouragement, especially when I needed it the most. There are no words that can describe the feelings I had being away from my newborn during that time. Yet she made it bearable. As soon as a transfer became possible, she relentlessly followed up with those team members to find a room and find transport as soon as possible. And while waiting, she was there to help me stand up for the first time and get myself ready to be reunited with my baby. 

As shared above, Nina was instrumental in keeping not only my physical and emotional health in good order, but also my spirit during one of the most difficult (probably the most difficult) 24 hours of my life. I don't know what the alternate reality would look like if we didn't luck out by having Nina as our nurse, but I don't want to know because I wouldn't have it any other way. Her passion for me as a patient, woman, and mother was crystal clear. Her dedication is unrivaled by everything except perhaps her own good heart.