Jennifer Poston, BSN, RNC-OB

I met one of God’s angels in Nurse Jenn from Labor & Delivery. At 7 am, Nurse Jenn came on shift, and she inherited a scared, exhausted, overwhelmed first-time mom-to-be as her patient. At 38 weeks pregnant, I was suddenly required to be induced due to a cholestasis diagnosis. When Nurse Jenn came on shift, I had been at the hospital for over 24 hours... and was becoming desperate because it felt like nothing was moving forward. I was exhausted, in a horrible amount of pain, and groggy from an injection I had been given, but the first thing I remember was Nurse Jenn taking my hand and reassuring me and letting me know an epidural was an option – in the calmest, most open, and encouraging way without any pressure. As the pain got worse, she continued to explain my options and helped me choose the best path forward for me. When it was time to get the epidural, I was overwhelmed and nervous, and Nurse Jenn came in and, without saying anything, took the hair tie off my wrist and braided my hair to get me ready. She held me against her chest while they stuck a needle in my spine, and she gave me such a sense of comfort and peace. I was safe in her arms. Nurse Jenn spent her shift by my side, caring for me, loving me, and encouraging me. At 24 hours into labor, I was worried this was going to be a traumatic birth experience, and because of Nurse Jenn, it turned into such a positive one. The first 24 hours felt like days; the 12-hour shift with Nurse Jenn flew by. She helped me to sleep and relax and was right there with us when it was time to push, and I was able to deliver my baby vaginally with minimal tearing after 36 hours at the hospital. She truly made all the difference in my birth experience through staying by my side, taking care of me, and encouraging my husband and me. I can say with confidence that Nurse Jenn was the sole difference between me having a traumatic birth experience and having a positive one. My husband and I got the impression that this was not a one-off experience, but this is just how Nurse Jenn is to all her