Melanie Bielenberg
April 2025
Melanie
Bielenberg
,
RN
Dubuque
Universal Pediatrics
Urbandale
,
IA
United States
Every night before bed, as a way to build up our gratitude, my kids and I each say three things we are thankful for, and Melanie is typically the first thing our daughter lists every night.
Melanie came into our home in May 2022, when our daughter was a freshly new two-year-old, who had a very hard time adjusting to new faces. However, our daughter quickly fell in love with Melanie and she is now one of our daughter's favorite people. On a personal level, Melanie meshes in with our family's dynamics perfectly. It is always scary to expose your home and the nitty-gritty, not-so-pretty aspects of your family life to a stranger for fear of judgment or criticism.
However, not once have we ever felt judged by Melanie, and our family appreciates feeling comfortable being ourselves around her. I also love how excited our daughter gets to see this nurse’s car parked outside when she wakes up and looks out her bedroom window every morning. Or when I overhear her randomly saying, “I love you,” while they are doing menial tasks or in the midst of playing.
Every night before bed, as a way to build up our gratitude, my kids and I each say three things we are thankful for, and Melanie is typically the first thing our daughter lists every night. As a mom, it’s heartwarming to know that our daughter is cared for at such an exceptional level that she, even as a four-year-old, can express her daily gratitude for it.
On a professional level, Melanie is one of the most meticulous, detail-oriented people I’ve ever met. I know that when my daughter is coming down with something, no stone will go unturned to remedy the ailment. Melanie communicates any concerns she has or things we should be watching for so that the issue can be quickly addressed with our daughter’s local PCP or specialty care teams in Iowa City.
There are countless illnesses that this nurse has helped us catch so early on that we were able to get an early diagnosis for and nip in the bud right away. She also frequently leaves us with a note at the end of each day with a breakdown of our daughter’s vitals, moods, fluid and food intakes, etc. so that we have an idea of how to tackle our daughter’s needs for the remainder of the day.
While this is not something we ask this nurse to do, she consistently keeps us in the loop to give our daughter the best care, and we appreciate it so much! Melanie has also gone above and beyond to help our daughter with any homework that she receives from speech therapy, physical therapy, and food school. This gives our daughter’s dad and me, who both work 40+ hours a week, the ability to do more fun and relaxing things with our daughter at the end of each day, focusing on family time.
Melanie also attends preschool with our daughter, and our family’s appreciation for her is echoed amongst our daughter’s teachers and school staff. Our daughter’s teacher recently said that Melanie gives our daughter the medical support she needs, but also knows when to stand back and give our daughter space and independence to challenge herself so she can grow and gain confidence in her own abilities. I could go on, but I will sum it up by saying that our family has hit the jackpot with Melanie. I could not imagine how much more challenging and stressful our lives would be if it weren’t for her! We all adore her and will be forever grateful to Universal Pediatrics for matching her with our daughter.
However, not once have we ever felt judged by Melanie, and our family appreciates feeling comfortable being ourselves around her. I also love how excited our daughter gets to see this nurse’s car parked outside when she wakes up and looks out her bedroom window every morning. Or when I overhear her randomly saying, “I love you,” while they are doing menial tasks or in the midst of playing.
Every night before bed, as a way to build up our gratitude, my kids and I each say three things we are thankful for, and Melanie is typically the first thing our daughter lists every night. As a mom, it’s heartwarming to know that our daughter is cared for at such an exceptional level that she, even as a four-year-old, can express her daily gratitude for it.
On a professional level, Melanie is one of the most meticulous, detail-oriented people I’ve ever met. I know that when my daughter is coming down with something, no stone will go unturned to remedy the ailment. Melanie communicates any concerns she has or things we should be watching for so that the issue can be quickly addressed with our daughter’s local PCP or specialty care teams in Iowa City.
There are countless illnesses that this nurse has helped us catch so early on that we were able to get an early diagnosis for and nip in the bud right away. She also frequently leaves us with a note at the end of each day with a breakdown of our daughter’s vitals, moods, fluid and food intakes, etc. so that we have an idea of how to tackle our daughter’s needs for the remainder of the day.
While this is not something we ask this nurse to do, she consistently keeps us in the loop to give our daughter the best care, and we appreciate it so much! Melanie has also gone above and beyond to help our daughter with any homework that she receives from speech therapy, physical therapy, and food school. This gives our daughter’s dad and me, who both work 40+ hours a week, the ability to do more fun and relaxing things with our daughter at the end of each day, focusing on family time.
Melanie also attends preschool with our daughter, and our family’s appreciation for her is echoed amongst our daughter’s teachers and school staff. Our daughter’s teacher recently said that Melanie gives our daughter the medical support she needs, but also knows when to stand back and give our daughter space and independence to challenge herself so she can grow and gain confidence in her own abilities. I could go on, but I will sum it up by saying that our family has hit the jackpot with Melanie. I could not imagine how much more challenging and stressful our lives would be if it weren’t for her! We all adore her and will be forever grateful to Universal Pediatrics for matching her with our daughter.