We recently stayed at Valley Medical Center for the birth of our 3rd child. The entire staff was incredible, but our nurse in the birthing center, Ayla, really stood out. Although my wife had 2 C-Section procedures previously, we were still very anxious. When we arrived at the hospital, Ayla engaged my wife and me in casual conversation and distracted us momentarily from our anxiety about the procedure. Not only did she ask about the baby we were having, but she learned the names and ages of our other kids too. These small gestures went a long way. By the time we went into operation we felt like we were her family and she was going to take care of us like her family. In addition to being personable and perhaps more importantly, she demonstrated confidence and a strong knowledge of her job responsibilities. She clearly was experienced in C-Sections and this confidence really put my wife's mind at ease.
I also had the opportunity to observe Ayla training a student from Renton Technical College who stood in to observe the C-Section. When time permitted, Ayla explained to the student what the doctors and nurses were doing. She also walked the student through the post-operation procedures and even guided her along the way. It was obvious to us that Ayla takes a great deal of pride in her work.
Ayla is a valuable asset to the hospital and played a very important role in a very important part of our lives.