Simply put, Des Lowery is an extraordinary nurse, fully deserving of the DAISY Award. I’d like to provide some context for my nomination by stating that I am also a nurse, although my experience is quite different, as I’ve spent my entire career in the Emergency Department, both at the bedside and in management. Emergency nurses are not fearful of much in life. After all, it’s our job to respond to every possible scenario calmly and confidently. However, most emergency nurses agree that our biggest fear is the care of a pregnant patient. Pregnancy, labor, and delivery present many unknowns and vulnerabilities. As a master of “the worst case scenario”, I found myself quite anxious and scared as I prepared for labor and delivery.
The moment Des walked into my room to introduce herself, I immediately felt at ease. As we began talking, I quickly realized that I knew Des from her first job as a new graduate nurse in the Emergency Department. I was her supervisor for a brief period of time before she returned to a calling she established long before in nursing school - Labor and Delivery. I chuckled to myself at the coincidence and then immediately felt bad for her because very few nurses desire to care for their supervisor (or previous supervisor in this case). The most remarkable thing about Des is that, while we did share a previous job together, I never felt that this intruded on my care or experience whatsoever. Quite the opposite was true. Des immediately sensed my anxiety about my
admission to the labor and delivery unit and established her role as my caring, knowledgeable nurse within seconds. I am so grateful. The ability to maintain this level of professionalism and establish rapport in such a situation is rare and a talent that cannot be taught. Des worked through the admission process with my midwife and began my induction. I am amazed at how she expertly navigated the various medical procedures and jargon with my husband, who is not in the medical field, and who becomes queasy at the mere mention of blood. My husband was also anxious, mostly because he
wanted to support me in every way possible but was convinced he was going to pass out at some point. The midwife tried to ease his concerns and reassured him, “Usually it’s only the military dads that have trouble and pass out.” We immediately laughed because he is, in fact, an active duty service member, and thus the attempted reassurance was only confirmation of his fear. Des’s calming spirit and confidence throughout every part of the induction put both of us at ease. She explained everything that she did in detail in a way that both of us could understand, from medications that she was administering or titrating, to procedures that she was anticipating, such as a cervical exam or foley placement. Nothing was a surprise, a gift for a process that I convinced myself would be full of unknowns. She also knew to care for my husband with actions rather than words - a skill that took me years to figure out. Rather than verbally tell him that he would be okay, she gave him specific tasks such as holding my hand, fetching ice or a drink as needed, and holding one of my legs when it came time to push. And of course, she did have a chair expertly placed behind him at all times in case he did need to sit down. Des is highly skilled in her ability to connect with patients and family members. It is evident that she goes above and beyond to care for her families holistically. She embodies every aspect of what it means to be a nurse.
Perhaps the greatest example of nursing skill and expertise came during the actual delivery of my son. Despite having been pregnant for 9 months and having a scheduled induction, I still found myself surprised at the reality of delivering a baby. Des, of course, was not surprised at all and cheerfully walked us through each step. From the moment she determined I was completely dilated and effaced, she never left my side. I still don’t know how she managed this, but she communicated with each member of the healthcare team without leaving the bedside or making me feel alone, even for a second.
She quickly identified meconium-stained amniotic fluid and paged the pediatric team to stand by during delivery. Des communicated this finding to me in a way that was informative but reassuring, so that I was fully aware of what was going on but was able to let her carry the mental load of managing that potential complication. My husband and I are both deeply grateful for Des and her expert care. She will always be an important part of our family’s story. We would be delighted if Duke could recognize her outstanding nursing care with a DAISY Award.
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I went in for an induction. Des accepted my wishes as far as pain management. Once, my contractions got really bad, Des gave me IV pain meds per my request. She got me 2 drinks, sat with me on the side of my bed, and held my hand through the contractions, giving me words of encouragement. Once I let her know I needed to push, she was quick to get everyone in the room in a timely manner since I didn't give much time for the providers to get ready. Des was amazingly sweet, caring, and compassionate. Something I haven't experienced during other birthing deliveries. Even my husband raves about her.
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Destiny is a skilled labor and delivery nurse. Her kindness, skilled care, and unwavering encouragement helped me get through the birth of my first child. Even when things got a little chaotic, Destiny remained calm and reassuring. She went above and beyond tomake sure I was comfortable and even made arrangements for me to see my daughter in the special care nursery as I was unable to get out of bed and walk. Her dedication
and compassion for her patients show and are what make her an amazing nurse. Thank you, Destiny, for the care and comfort you provided to my family as we welcomed our baby into the world. We appreciate you and the huge role you played in this event!