Devoted. Every patient wants that "TLC" moment after giving birth and Barb is devoted to giving that to each and every one of her families. The amount of thank you's, gifts and hugs, she receives from patients is incredible. Barb remembers her patients too and can tell you a little bit about their story. She carries those stories in her heart and even has told me many times that for those families that she worried about, she adds them to her prayers as they make that transition to parenthood.

Advocate. For the best patient experience and being the nurse who gives her patients her all with every encounter she has with them. She is able to assess what the patient's need the most to meet their goals and is able to advocate for them whether it's something small like a fresh cup of coffee for an exhausted dad or a sympathetic ear and back rub for an emotionally exhausted mother.

... A couple of weeks ago, Barb had a family after her morning assessment that felt like there was something that "just didn't feel right" about the baby. The provider hadn't seen the baby yet so she gave them a call just to remind them that the baby needed to be seen before 24 hours and that the baby had some petechaie (small-red dots) on its back and she told the ped she thought that she should come do the exam sooner than later. The provider came and also was a little concerned and decided to order up labs which came back with extremely low platelets which required immediate transfer to the NICU for a transfusion. The parents were so thankful that Barb listened to her gut instinct and so was the pediatrician. A week later the pediatrician was rounding and come up to Barb and again thanked her for advocating for the patient.

Inspires her families, "you can do it!" Barb encourages and emotionally supports her patients and families so they can walk out the doors with confidence in their new role as parents. She gives them the right amount of time and energy so that everyone's bucket is filled.

Support, especially a listening ear for emotional support. What makes Barb stand out above everyone else is how she really connects and becomes "part of their family" with each of her patients. When giving report she not only touches on the physical issues but the emotional and spiritual issues the patent/family is dealing with at the time.

YOU!!! Barb is the nurse that everyone remembers ... sometimes not by name, but by her caring heart and the excellent care she provided. I hear "You took care of us with our last baby and You were So wonderful.'' "You are the person that helped me get through a very difficult time...THANK YOU."

Barb is a valuable part of our unit. Not just for the patients but for the staff. She will be leaving us in the next couple of years to retire and enjoy the next step in her life. Before she leaves, we want to honor her and her work with the most prestigious award ...the DAISY!!!