I gave birth on May 4 and was assigned a room for my recovery. Lucky for me that meant my AM nurse for the next two days was Susan DiRocco. She was extraordinary. Beyond keeping all the little details together for the parade of family stopping by, being friendly and welcoming toward them while always focusing on me and my daughter as the patient she took steps that others did not.

For example, my vaginal delivery left me with a lot of pain and tenderness. She ensured a treatment that would bring me maximum relief, a sitz bath. This required additional discussion with my doctor because the resident who did rounds on me each morning disagreed but the nursing staff's years of experience plus the consent of the doctor prevailed. Susan came with me into the bathroom, set things up for the "bath", stayed with me throughout the process, sharing personal stories back and forth to make the environment more comfortable and once the bath was complete she got down on her knees to pat the area dry and check me!

If the DAISY Award is meant for nurses who do everything in their power to put the patients' needs first, Susan Di Rocco should be its recipient.