In the early hours of a Thursday, I was moved from the observation room to the labor and delivery room after getting Cytotec and my water breaking. As a first time mom I was extremely anxious and worried about what labor would entail, if I would be able to bear the pain, if my baby boy would safely enter this world, if I would be cared for and safe throughout, and if my nurse would be kind and encouraging.

Then my nurse, Debbie, came in at the start of her morning shift. As a nurse myself, I've always known the power of the energy a nurse brings to her patient for those 12 hours. Debbie not only fulfilled all my hopes of labor and birthing my baby, but she also far exceeded my expectations.

Never once did I feel unsafe. She advocated for my pain management, and her voice was the only one I heard walking me through each step of the epidural. Her voice was calm, yet commanding, and I needed that given the strong contractions I was feeling at the time.

She monitored me so closely throughout the day, and her clinical judgment seemed right on with every twist and turn my labor took. When I dilated from 3 to 9cm in just over an hour, she called in an equally amazing team of doctors and baby nurses and led the way, explaining exactly what was going on with me and what I needed.

When it came time to push, she taught me how, she used language that motivated me to give a little more than I thought I could, she used the most helpful analogies to help me know I was almost there (i.e. rounding the final corner onto boylston st during the Boston marathon), she sprinkled in some humor, and was also compassionate toward my fiance and mother who were also at my bedside.

Simply put, Debbie helped make this first-time mama welcome the most precious baby boy into the world. She is the epitome of a DAISY nurse, and the patients and families of BI are lucky to have her on the team.

I'm just so lucky the stars aligned for her to be my nurse that day, and thank you, Debbie!