We received exceptional care from Emily Athanas-Linden during our recent multi-day stay in the ACU at Women & Infants. Emily exemplifies the qualities of an outstanding nurse with the highest standard of care and is a leader in her profession, and I feel compelled to share how much of a positive impact she had on our experience. Emily quickly and easily became our favorite nurse. We started induction with our IVF baby 8 days past my due date. Already overdue, my wife was experiencing all of the natural fears of the child birthing process. From the moment we met, Emily was a source of knowledge, reassurance, and support. She was able to clearly share the care plan and was knowledgeable from a medical standpoint and also compassionate from a human standpoint.

To ripen her cervix, my wife tried 5 rounds of Misoprostol, which requires constant monitoring, a round of Cervidil on a wireless monitor, and had 3 failed foley balloon attempts with various midwives. The process was absolutely exhausting, but Emily built trust with us both and showed her patience, compassion, and positive encouragement during periods that felt like defeat. In addition to the normal induction process, my wife had previously had a reaction to an IV that made her very anxious. Emily took the time to understand and came up with a solution to apply a warm heat pack while taking in the IV fluids. My wife carried that tactic through her many IVs throughout her stay. That one moment of compassion and the simple adjustment to her care plan made the entire stay more bearable for my wife. On day 2, the baby’s heart rate dropped. At the time, we did not have an understanding of what was going on, but Emily did. She assessed the situation quickly, made quick and informed decisions, and guided her colleagues. She had even built the trust with my wife to where she was able to insert the necessary IV and have her change positions to get the baby off the umbilical cord. She was not going to let anything happen to our baby on her watch, and she didn’t. We even ended up joking that the baby did not want Emily to leave.

Not long after, my wife was moved down to the Labor & Delivery unit. In the Labor & Delivery unit, my wife started her Pitocin and again tried the Foley balloon. Both were unsuccessful, and it was decided we would have a C-section. We were transferred back up to the ACU until a plan was established. Emily’s shift started at 3 p.m. on the day of our C-section. I happened to run into her before the shift, and she cared to know our story and our next steps. She had no obligation to see us through, but after hearing our whole story, insisted she take us down to the Operating Room to finally get baby safely delivered. I was overjoyed to watch the exchange between Emily and my wife on the way down to the OR. I could see how much trust they had built and knew just how lucky we were to have received this high level of care. When we finally had the baby, I went back up to the ACU to grab our bags. Emily was there and was able to assist in bringing me back to Labor & Delivery. We had a brief full circle moment where she was able to congratulate my wife and meet the baby. Emily’s positive encouragement and guidance gave my wife the confidence to navigate a challenging time. Emily is clearly intelligent, but what truly set Emily apart is her dedication and compassion towards her patients. It is clear that Emily is deeply dedicated to her patients and her profession. Nurses like Emily are at the heart of healthcare, and we are so grateful to have been in her care during such an important moment in our lives.