I want to apologize in advance for the length of this nomination; I feel so strongly about the care provided that I feel it would be a disservice to this nurse not to fully explain how amazing she is.

Ashley was our nurse the night we went into labor with our first baby. I had no idea what to expect, and from the jump, Ashley explained every step of the process to me in a way that was helpful but also kept my husband and me from being nervous. She took the time to sit with me and explained that if anything went in a way we weren’t anticipating that she would act first and explain everything in detail after because my safety and my baby’s safety were her number one priority. Her taking the time to have that conversation with us brought us so much comfort, and little did we know it would come to be important throughout my labor.

After my epidural was placed, my blood pressure dropped enough to require medication. After the first round of medication didn’t work, Ashley advocated for an IV dose, despite the anesthesiologist suggesting IM again. Ultimately, it took three doses of medication, but they were able to get my blood pressure to a safe space, and Ashley kept us calm the entire way. After I was stable, Ashley sat down with us and explained what happened, what steps were taken, and the importance of still using the PCA button moving forward. She kept us calm after a scary situation.

During the actual birth of our son, he decided to come out “sunny side up,” which meant he was very much stuck in the birth canal without much advancement. Ashley stayed by my side through the entire actual pushing process, which was about three hours, and promised she wouldn’t leave us. She cheered me on the entire time, even when I was ready to give up, and managed to keep us laughing the whole way, which was exactly what I needed. We ended up with two failed vacuum attempts, multiple forcep types and attempts, and a massive tear to get him out, but we did it with the help of Ashley by our side.

She stayed over her shift at least two hours to stay with us until our baby boy was born. I cannot put into words how much that meant to me. When I was exhausted and scared, I had Ashley as a constant, steady voice of encouragement the entire way. Not only was she an amazing nurse in terms of skill, but she was also such a crucial emotional support for my husband and me. She also did small things that made such a difference to us, like taking photos right after birth and making an adorable winter drawing for our son.

We unfortunately ended up back in OB triage a couple of weeks after birth, and Ashley went out of her way to come and see us and check in on our son. I am in awe of her character and think she is beyond worthy of winning the DAISY Award. Not only is Ashley deserving of the DAISY Award for being an extraordinary nurse, but she also deserves recognition from IU North leadership for providing exceptional care and upholding the IU Health Values.

Every action she took during our labor exuded Compassion and will keep me coming back to IU North every time in the future. Her Excellence led us to a safe delivery of our child, despite him being a stubborn little thing. Ashley very clearly understands the importance of Team, by providing help to another nurse with a laboring mom, and also knowing when to bring in help when things weren’t going too well for me.

Lastly, I can’t say for sure how Ashley feels, but I absolutely feel she is fulfilling her Purpose by being a labor and delivery nurse. She was everything I could have asked for in a nurse, and I will forever be grateful for her and the care she provided. I am sure there are lots of amazing nurses who have been nominated for this award, but I truly believe Ashley is the most deserving. She is everything a nurse should strive to be, and she deserves all the recognition possible. Thank you, Ashley, for everything you did for us. If I can muster the courage to have another baby in the future, I pray that you’ll be our nurse again.