I was hospitalized as a high-risk pregnancy with severe IUGR and preeclampsia for 25 days at Hershey Medical Center over Christmas and into the new year. During this time, 20 days were antepartum and very emotionally challenging. Being in a hospital that was 1.5 hours away from home and away from my 7-year-old son and husband was rough to say the least. They were able to visit, but often only for a couple of hours. Being hospitalized over the holidays brought about a very emotional and depressing time for me. There were days when I cried for 12 hours straight, didn't get out of bed, didn't eat, and was just a wreck. And that's where the story flips from being just about me and my situation to being about my nurses. Each and every nurse on the labor and delivery/antepartum/postpartum unit (7th Floor) showed the utmost amount of compassion. When I was at my absolute lowest and thinking I couldn't take another day of this antepartum hospitalization, there was a nurse to help pick me up.

On Christmas morning, a nurse named Jade came in and presented me with a necklace from the entire unit. The necklace had baby feet on it and was engraved "HOPE." This gesture from the nurses really did give me hope during my darkest time. I often had nurses from the unit stop by my room to see how I was doing, even when they were not my assigned nurse for the day. When my preeclampsia symptoms became severe and I had to be transferred to the L&D side of the unit, my nurses were amazing and confidently helped to treat my symptoms. My nurses gave me encouragement, were a listening ear, and a real God-send. They advocated for me in so many ways and helped me when I was not coping well. I will never forget the hug I got from Jade the day I was discharged and the joy I had getting to show her pictures of my little 2Ib 3oz NICU baby.

I will forever remember each nurse who quite literally pulled me through my hospital stay. I started to write this nomination multiple times over the past couple of months, but could never finish. The trauma of the whole pregnancy and hospitalization stays with me, but I will never forget the positive and inspiring impact each nurse had on me. Truly, the most compassionate and caring group of nurses I have ever met. From one RN to another, thank you all for the best care and for changing my perspective and the way I care for my patients.