Ana Maria was the first nurse I had for a whole shift while I was in the post-partum unit at St. Luke's Grand View. From the moment she walked in the door, you could tell that she was an experienced nurse who had a knack for educating and nurturing.

Ana Maria was so compassionate and understanding of the challenges facing first-time parents who had just experienced an emergency C-section. She always explained what she was doing and why, which went a long way in the journey back to feeling like a human after surgery. The first day Ana Maria cared for me, she was very busy with a large patient load, but always had time for questions, educating, and making sure we had exactly what we needed to care for our newborn and me.

I was genuinely sad when she was not my nurse the next day, despite the excellent care that other nurses provided. The day we were to be discharged, I was overjoyed when Ana Maria walked in early in the morning to start her rounds. Despite several shifts in between our interactions, she remembered so many details of my journey that I had shared with her.

During preparation for discharge, she shared several personal stories from her postpartum journey to reinforce the wild journey it can be, that there is a wide range of things considered normal, and that there are many warning signs of what is not. She took her time in ensuring that we were set up for success before discharge and gave the warmest hug upon walking us to our car, which I will never forget.

My birth story was filled with so many kind nurses and doctors at Grandview, but my experience with Ana Maria truly stood out due to her care and compassion that she showed me, as if I were her own child.