Justine: Hi, I'm Justine.
Sarah LaVaughn: I'm Sarah Lavonne.
Justine: We are so glad you're here.
Sarah: We believe that your life has the potential to make a deep, meaningful impact on the world around you. You, as a nurse, have the ability to add value to every single person and patient you touch.
Justine: We want to inspire you with resources, education, and stories to support you to live your absolute best life, both in and outside of work.
Sarah: Don't expect perfection over here. We're just here to have some conversations about anything birth, work, and life. Trying to add some happy to your hour as we all grow together.
Justine: By nurses, for nurses, this is Happy Hour with Bundle Birth Nurses.
Sarah: How do you ever have a bad day when you're looking at how amazing people are? These Starfish Awards were, one, impossible, and two, like the most heartwarming, like amazing thing I have spent time doing in so long. I'm so excited to talk about and highlight some people and tell some stories and just hopefully also spread that same love to you, Justine, and then obviously to everyone listening. Welcome back.
Justine: Welcome back.
Sarah: We're back for season six of Happy Hour with Bundle Birth Nurses.
Justine: Just a little behind the scenes. It's nice to talk, do, the first episode later, actually, because we've like recorded already a few, just a little behind the scenes so and now we know like you're going to hear and you're going to hear instead of being like, I don't know, we're getting real legit around here.
Sarah: We're becoming a real business.
Justine: We had like a podcast meeting. We talked--
Sarah: I know. We tuned it all out.
Justine: We've recorded almost every single episode this season. We waited on this one because we were trying to get and give enough time for people to submit Starfish Award nomination. If you missed it, you have no idea what we're talking about. Don't you worry. We'll fill you in. You're about to be real filled in because we get to celebrate a bunch of you. Before, mind you, before we get started, we'll also talk about what else is what's coming up this season and what's going on, and include you in all of that.
I do want to say that as I was thinking about this episode, and sort of like highlighting these amazing nurses, and we'll maybe just riff about it. We have zero plans other than that. You're just going to hear that like drive home from work conversation about all of this. I want you all to find yourself in these stories because we know that there were, it was close to 60 nominations, which came in like within two weeks, we announced this very late. We were less organized than we will be going forward because now the starfish award is a thing.
Really, what is a starfish award? It is basically our way of highlighting and celebrating nurses who are making a difference. You've likely, if you've been around at all, you've heard the starfish story of the kid that walks along the beach. There's a million starfish reaches down, throws a starfish back in the water, but there's millions and millions of starfish. The grandpa's like, what are you doing? A little boy was like, "Oh, well, it matters to that one." The guy's like, "Well, how do you think you can make a difference?" There was another one in the water. I'm improvising a little here, and it's like, it matters to that one. We've used that actually I was thinking about this story because that story came out the first time I taught physiologic birth. You remember this?
Sarah: No, I was going to ask, and was it on a whim? Because I feel like in the class was when you were being like, oh, that's really good.
Justine: Yes. We never had any idea that would become such a brand identity.
Sarah: So true.
Justine: Most of our things we don't know are going to become such a brand identity. Team underwear, like what?
Sarah: Yes.
Justine: Raising Tuesday, whatever. Just thinking of those small things, flex and flow. Imagine like--
Sarah: Yes, I've been saying flex and flow since high school. Who knew I'd end up doing a lot with that? Don't write their story. A lot of our brand-isms, or like bundle birth-isms are very much like my own personal learning and growth that then I apply to the business and to the team. Then I can't keep inside and so they show up with you as well. That starfish story came out on that first physiologic birth class.
Now, I do share it in every single physiologic birth class with the idea of when you're looking at a problem, you're looking at something that feels overwhelming. It could even be like a task, right? You're like, what's like, I'm so overwhelmed by how much there is to be done, how many things that upset me, et cetera, et cetera, that it's easy to look at a beach full of starfish and go, what difference can I make? The idea of the starfish award is highlighting those nurses that reach down, could even be with one patient, but most likely are consistently using their own effort to reach down and 'throw the starfish back in the water.' What it means is that they show up for their patients, they pause at the door, they give their hearts, they connect one-on-one, they get down on their level, they advocate fiercely. They represent all the things that we talk about all the time and giving hope in dark places and doing the trauma-informed care stuff and, repositioning a client when they've pulled the papers for the C-section, a lot of the stories coming in here are like that those nurses on your floor that are at the bedside doing the work rather than at the nurse's station gossiping about the patients and each other.
We want to highlight those people, we're going to continue to highlight those people throughout the year, and be watching your nominations as they come through, and then going forward for every single Nurses Week, we will give away Starfish Awards. This year, people that won a Starfish Award, we had 12 awards, we decided that number before we had actual nominations come in, we're like, "We'll give away 12." Mind you, there were like so many, it was impossible. We're all like passing applications around, I printed them all out, and I'm like, "What do you guys think? Help, help." Here's 15, I need two from this stack, and people were like, "I don't even know."
Just know that like we read every nomination and everybody that sent something in, we celebrated, we sent love, we are so proud of each and every one of you, including those that nominated because it was, it took effort to like stand out or like to put your energy towards helping someone stand out. Back to what I was saying in the beginning, I know I'm like roundabout here, but I want as we're reading and going through and highlighting some of these, I want you to think about yourself in these nominations.
Themes that may come up, or I know I mentioned already, they're the nurse that are at the bedside with the patient and doing the counter pressure that are calling the doctor in the middle of the night, regardless if they're scared. That are, that are advocating fiercely when a doctor is trying to cut them or whatever. We'll read some fun stories here, but that you know that you're also that nurse and you don't need an award to claim the starfish, to keep throwing them back in the water, and to know in your heart that you also deserve to be recognized.
I want you to hear that as we recognize people here that we're sending a collective celebration this Nurses Week, which by the way, it's the end of Nurses Week. Obviously it's not when we're recording this, but Nurses Week starts tomorrow.
Justine: No, it's the beginning of next week.
Sarah: We're recording this very late. Yes. We're celebrating you during Nurses Week. If you missed it, and maybe you're listening to this the first day, we have a freebie going out on cord gases. Anybody can have that. We'll link it down below. It may be expired depending on when you're hearing this. I'm sorry if you missed it, but stay tuned, there'll be other stuff coming. Then we also are offering our new visualization class for families to you to sample with any class purchase. That's live and on demand.
You'll get the class to sample for free. By sample, I mean, you get a class on visualization, go through it yourself as if you're a pregnant person. It's technically for pregnant people, but there's so many that are not only for labor and birth, but also life. I wanted you to have that resource as a grounding technique for you, but also to sample, to have another tool in your toolbox that you can guide your patient to and say like, "Hey, have you heard of visualizations?" You can speak to it more. That's coming for free.
We have 20% off the entire store, and we are announcing our new emergency pocket guide, Competence in Crisis, written by one of our very own. She is a mentor educator and one of our beloved bundle burst staff. That is Bree Klinger. She has been working on this for almost two years, y'all.
Justine: Yes, it's been a long time. I'm so excited that it's getting released.
Sarah: Have you looked at it?
Justine: Yes, it's beautiful. It's gorgeous. Oh, my God. If you've taken RNC--
Sarah: There's so much info, and the way that she condensed all of the essential info into this, I think it's 62 pages, including the covers. 60 pages of resources, three by five fits in your pocket coil bound. We upgraded the paper. It's not technically waterproof. You'd have to print on plastic, and it was going to be super thick and super expensive, but it's a laminated, coated, it's not laminated, it's coated. It's wipeable and it's water resistant. It's like very durable paper, beautifully designed as you can imagine. A bunch of my drawings are all over it. If you've taken RNC or you've taken physiologic birth, you know that our design aesthetic is very important, but the content inside is invaluable.
That is for sale now on the site. If you're here on the launch of this podcast day, it is 20% off with free shipping for anything in the store. Please go to the store, please go get all your goodies while they're on sale. We want to do that and offer that to you as a part of Nurses Week as well to celebrate your own growth and your own access to resources. Let's celebrate some people.
Justine: I got the privilege to read some of these beforehand. I wasn't in on picking them just because it's easier to do in office. I'm, what's that called? Work from home. I feel like I saw some similarities as I kept reading them. Many of, they stay with the patient. They stay with the patient. They're there with the patient. That was interesting. That was one of the biggest similarities. Then, like you said, we'll advocate, we'll advocate, we'll advocate. Then there is one person. Are we allowed to say names yet or no?
Sarah: I think so. I just hope I chose them.
Justine: No, you did. Well, it's green so I'm assuming it's all right.
Sarah: Yes.
Justine: Raylene Porter from Yellow Knight, Canada. I want to work with her. She's a manager too. I think that's so nice. She was a manager, and she still is a starfish nurse. We'll read the moments. Thank you so much to the nurses that nominated and took the time and wrote out these really nice paragraphs of accolades for their friends and coworkers. That's really nice. There's a lot of people that'd be like, "Oh, I'm not going to do that." There's nurses think you should, but you're like, "That takes a lot of time. I'm not going to do that." I just think it's really, it shows how much [crosstalk] Yes.
Sarah: We're in it together. We've talked about on so many other episodes and other things that we've done of like how we want to be people who celebrate each other. That's what makes me so excited about this new thing that we're doing. Again, it's year-round. We'll put the link down below. You can nominate your people whenever you want throughout the year. When you see something throw in a nomination to recognize them. I hope that next year we'll have sponsorships, no promises there, but we're working on it. We didn't have the time.
Justine: Every starfish winner wins a car. You said that once. We wanted to do like the Daisy awards were on the road. You're like, "We're going to bring them a car."
Sarah: I said, it so confident to like, we will, we'll give them a two-week vacation on a private Island. That's my hopes for you. That's what I want for you. I wish I could give you, I want to be Oprah. That is the ultimate dream of her giveaways. Gosh, her Ellen's giveaways were amazing. It's just so fun to me to give things away. I dream of the day that that's an option for us anyway. Do you want to read what stood out to you from Raylene's? Yes.
Justine: Raylene deserves this award in a million ways. I really liked how she put that too. That's really nice. Over my time working on my unit, she's been our clinical coordinator, our manager, and also just a regular coworker beside me. Her passion for her job is so palpable and inspires people around her to be the best nurses they can be. She cares so much about L&D and obstetric nursing. She never turns down an opportunity to teach other nurses. Every single delivery I've been lucky enough to be with her are so clear in my mind. I remember calling her for backup once during a nurse to only delivery when I was still very new in the job.
I'll never forget the calmness and confidence she brought into the room, how she coached this young prime so effortlessly and with so much kindness and made this chaotic delivery due to everything else that was going on in the unit into a true moment of beauty and tranquility. During her period of time as our manager, she stepped up to the role better than anyone else I've ever seen. Picking up shifts when no one else would, even night shifts after she'd work all day, being on call constantly, supporting our younger nurses with such empathy, and being everyone's therapist 24/7 when she really didn't need to be.
Every single person that has the pleasure of seeing Raylene at work is better for the experience. Patients love her and feel safe with her. Coworkers are empowered and feel supported by her. She's truly everything you'd want in a nurse and more. She deserves this award more than anyone I know. So Nice. I do want to emphasize the managers that are working. It is not expected that they work 24-hour shifts consistently. Raylene is incredible and the fact that she could do this is amazing. I do feel a lot of empathy for the managers that are-- We have to remember they work 40 hours a week, they have a family, et cetera. This nurse is awesome.
Sarah: I think for managers that are listening, you coming in to help when they are slammed, I don't believe you have to do it every time, but if you want to make a grand gesture to build rapport with your staff, you've got to be willing to do it. The less you do it, not the less you do it, but if you refuse to do it altogether, you will lose rapport with your staff. It's one of those like sneaky little tricks to being that manager, I do think because they feel left in the dust. I know that there's a lot going on.
I remember when I became a manager, I was like, "Oh, that's what they do in meetings all day." It is, it is actually important what they're doing. They are keeping the ship afloat, but it's so not thanked. It's not recognized. That's why I loved that one as well, and she'll be getting an emergency pocket guide today. Maybe she's heard it. Maybe she hasn't because it's coming out today that we're giving away emergency pocket guides. She'll have that resource in her pocket, but it's like to have managers that are being recognized by their staff, I thought was so special.
The other thing is that, think about that one nurse. I know mine, I've talked about mine being Jolene on my very first delivery. They gave me almost the most horrible case. It was a V-back that was bleeding, that was pushing, that had been pushing forever. The tracing looked like crap and they were about to put a vacuum on. She came in with that calm and confidence. We've all had that one nurse that when we were feeling like we might die because we're so overwhelmed, they come in and they're just like, I got you. I'm here with you. Everything is harder done alone. One, thank those nurses that were that for you. I'm thinking Jolene publicly right now, and also be that nurse to your new ones.
Justine: Totally. I thought about that too. I'm like, "Oh, and she remembered it." You go in as the confident, experienced nurse to help your new nurses. You think it's nothing because that's just how you act or how you feel, with years of experience. Then you don't realize they're remembering it. That's fine. You share one of your favorites.
Sarah: Oh, no. One of my favorites. Hold on. Let me find it. I have all the papers.
Justine: Oh, can we talk about who was nominated twice and who we're so excited about?
Sarah: Yes. Let's talk about our favorite. Of course, she got two nominations. She was the only one with two nominations. That is our beloved Nedra, whom we love.
Justine: She's the best.
Sarah: Nedra has been around since the jump. She has been just like all in, just a freaking sponge to not only what we teach, but she lives a life of just wanting to be better. She was a part of our first mentorship cohort. Wasn't she first? No?
Justine: She was definitely in the beginning, but I don't know if she was the first, first.
Sarah: It felt like the first. If we look at like what she's done. Gosh, I pulled her order history. Because I was like, okay, what do we give her? It was impossible because she's literally done everything and she's got the move. She just purchased your CEFM. She's been to basic fetal monitor. I'm like, what are you doing? In the best way in the best way? I wasn't going to do this, but I gave her a gift card. I was like, "Here's the price of a live class, and you can come to a class."
Justine: Oh, that's really nice.
Sarah: Get yourself a pocket guide, get yourself, whatever, knowing her, she'll probably buy stuff for her unit with it, and God bless her. She, of course, we weren't shocked to see it, but also I was relieved to see it as well because she's just the best. Nedra began an evidence-based unit-wide project called Nedra's care cabinet, this was a long time ago, that provides equipment such as fairy lights, projector lights, and affirmation cards to release oxytocin and provide a safe environment for birthing people while they're inpatient.
She began this project a couple of years ago, and it has made an insanely big difference in our patient care and how patients feel when they give birth by utilizing equipment and promoting a safe environment. We, as nurses, are able to promote physiologic birth environment. Nedra always provides individualized, compassionate care to all her patients. She has one of the biggest hearts I know and always advocates for her patients and coworkers. It's so true. We know this firsthand. I've actually visited their unit and we got to see this project that actually that what wasn't mentioned, which I think is coming in the next one, if I remember right, is the birth navigator role that she also was a part of bringing.
When she started with bundle birth, her unit really didn't know who we were. They weren't really using any of our stuff. Now she has brought the rental, everybody's physiologic birth trained. They're seeing all of their C-section rates go down. They were the one that went from like, don't quote me on this, I think it was 28% NTSV to 19 consistently.
Justine: Around that.
Sarah: Something around that. Don't quote me on the exact numbers, but she alongside her amazing coworkers, has been the catalyst to completely revolutionizing their unit. Could we recognize anybody more? No, I don't think so. She'll be at move. Please send her so much love. When you're there with her at move, which by the way, we do have a couple of tickets left for doubles. When you're there, go ask her what, about what she did, and learn from her as a resource, because this woman is a sponge and is the most humble, kind, compassionate human. You just feel her love when you're around her. I love her so much.
Justine: I will say too, once you're done talking to her, give her a hug. She's the best hugger too. The best hugger. Big hugs. If you want to know more about, if you're going to A1 national, they're actually presenting.
Sarah: Are they? On the birth navigator stuff?
Justine: Yes, on the birth navigator.
Sarah: Oh, I love it.
Justine: Pretty cool. Yes. That's neat. The other comment pretty much just summed up what you just said, but it said she implemented a care cabinet, oversees it, and has been instrumental in promoting physiologic birth. She's also a birth care navigator. The cabinet's neat, too. A lot of it is donated, bought by Nedra. I really wanted her to be the nurse for a friend that went to their hospital to deliver. I had been there helping her, and then I had to leave, and she never got to go be her nurse, but she went in on her day off and brought her little happy birthday sign that she puts that on every person she delivers. She gives a happy birthday banner and puts it above their bed, and went and saw her.
Sarah: Yes. You talk about above and beyond. I am not that nurse. She is inspirational to me. I'm like, I'm tired. I'm done. I did a lot. I looked you in the eye and I cared for you. This woman gives her soul. Actually, I know a lot of you now have comfort carts, or what else are people calling them? I saw somebody else's care cabinet idea. This comes from her. She is the original inspo. When we first posted about the star projectors, that was back in the day, and that has completely taken off.
Your star projectors started here, which is so fun for us to see all the photos of even now patients I'll see on the patient side, they have their twinkle lights and their star projector, and some of them from their nurses, so fun. She is the instigator of all of that in our community, and we could not be more proud or more excited to celebrate her. Which also means all of you have the capability to do all that she has done.
I would love to actually have her on an episode. I don't know if she'd be willing, but I'd love to talk through like, how do you maintain the stamina? Because it has been probably four years of consistent work. I know for a fact, a lot of hard stuff, a lot of pushback, a lot of naysayers, and she's just pushed through for the benefit of patients. Go be that person.
Justine: As we talk about who to be, this one that I'm going to read, it makes me a little sad to think where a lot of us are these nurses, but it says, Laura has cared for more than one patient who the nurse's station peanut gallery thought would end up in the OR. Mind you, it's a funny comment because there is such a peanut gallery. When I first read it, I was like, oh yes, that's funny.
Sarah: I got peanut balls.
Justine: I was like, that's unfortunate that that's a thing. She stays in her patient's room for hours coming out just to pee and then jumps back in. She utilizes her bundle birth resources to move in the patient, very specific positions to bring the baby down into the pelvis with 20 years in the ER. She handles every crisis with ease and provides a sense of calm to everyone. She works with, what I learned from that too, is she's one of those nurses that is definitely not lazy. Just clocks into work and clocks in to do her job. Also, she's been a nurse for a minute, so she's not 22, right? She was in the ER for 20 years and now is in LA.
She wants to learn, wants to know how to better help her patients, is willing to help all of her colleagues. I'm proud to call her my friend. I was inspired by this one because I'm tired, and especially on night shift, I've been more tired, and I would like to be more like Laura, and just like, I'm here to work, and I'm here to be in the patient's room and help them. There's a hospital in Alabama that you have to be, I think it's University of Alabama, and correct us if you're wrong, but if you're on Pitt, you have to be in the room. I remember, we've talked about that a little bit before.
We know that because of Meryl, she was a travel nurse there. I was like, this is crazy. Now I'm like, well, that'd be nice. You're every time you're doing CMQCC every 20 minutes, position changes. Yes. It's a lot of work. Our job is not easy once they get an epidural, but that's another hill we'll die on. It's a lot of work. Okay. Which one do you want to share?
Sarah: I hope people don't take this the wrong way. I did have I think it was five favorites that were, oh my gosh, I'm so excited about this one. The first one is Alyssa Scompf. The words given to her were inspiring, compassionate, and selfless. This is what Sophia said. It is with great admiration and gratitude that I nominate Alyssa for the Starfish Nursing Award. In her short time as a labor and delivery nurse, this is already, I was like, I love hearing about people who own it from the jump.
Alyssa has already demonstrated the compassion, initiative, and heart that define the very best in nursing. One patient experience in particular stands out and exemplifies Alyssa's extraordinary character. A young teenage patient came into our unit unexpectedly delivering a baby, unaware that she had even been pregnant. As we soon learned, the pregnancy was the result of a traumatic sexual assault. The patient was understandably overwhelmed, scared, and emotionally fragile. Alyssa was assigned as her nurse and immediately became a steady and compassionate presence for both mother and newborn.
What truly sets Alyssa apart is what she chose to do when her shift ended. Without hesitation or recognition, Alyssa went to Walmart and purchased baby clothes, diapers, wipes, and other essentials for the newborn. She also brought back the young mother's dinner of choice, McDonald's, hoping to bring even a small sense of comfort during an unimaginably difficult time. No one asked Alyssa to do these things. She didn't do it for attention, praise, or credit. She did it because it's who she is, a nurse whose care goes far beyond the clinical, a nurse who sees her patients as whole people, a nurse-- I'm going to cry. It's so good.
A nurse who is deeply genuine, nonjudgmental, caring heart. What makes Alyssa's story even more remarkable is that she's accomplished all of this with less than a year of experience in labor and delivery. Her intuition, empathy, and dedication seem to come naturally. She consistently goes above and beyond for her patients, and she lifts up her team with her positive energy and integrity. The Nursing Starfish Award is about making a difference, even just for one patient. Alyssa did that and so much more. She reminded a young woman in crisis that she was not alone, that she mattered, and that kindness still exists in the world. Alyssa is a nurse who truly changes lives, and I cannot think of anyone more deserving of this recognition.
Justine: I'm also like, Sophia, you need an award for such beautiful writing.
Sarah: I know, it helped.
Justine: Yes, that was a good one.
Sarah: I think what stands out to me here is the ownership, and I think what's really hard with nursing in general, especially labor and delivery, that's all I can speak to, that's all I've ever known, is how easy it is to get jaded. As an experienced nurse, you can quickly go, well, that's her now, wait for a few more years. I love that she's new and that she's applying herself in this way. I hope that you never lose that compassion and care for other human beings out there and that empathy.
So much of what is missing in our world, let alone our profession, is the humanity, the human connection, the care for one another, the putting ourselves in each other's shoes, and actually connecting in a way that is meaningful. That's what really stood out to me in this case. She, of course, didn't have to do any of that. We're not giving awards only to people who do things outside their shift. I don't totally believe in that, but I believe in this because she functioned selflessly out of the motivation of what she felt was right in her soul. Not whether she was getting paid or not, or whether she was getting recognition, but she did it in a way that was like, I care, and therefore I'm going to respond. I'm actually going to show up.
I'm going to go on a little baby tangent that applies here. I was at a leadership conference on Friday. It was amazing. Brendan Burchard, he's the number one business coach in the world. Then Erwin McManus, who's author, speaker, that the most great, amazing day. Erwin told a story. He said he was out with a bunch of buddies and they were, I don't know, New York City. They saw some guy jump somebody else. There was this group of leaders, people that are aspiring to do amazing things in the world, and they're somebody to look up to. His son was with him, and they all saw it happen, stood, hesitated, and his son ran off and helped the guy. The comment was, if no one would have acted, we would have all felt fine.
Justine: Oh, because he acted, they all were like, oh, well, shoot, I got to go act.
Sarah: Yes. They all felt guilty that I wasn't the one that did it. If no one would have stepped out, they all would have been like, "Oh, well." I think about this type of nurse and you out there that are this type of nurse, not necessarily going out to Walmart outside of that, but that show up with compassion and steadiness and safeness and non-judgment and who offer yourself in the best of who you are to help somebody in a vulnerable moment, that you are that person that then shows all of us that is the standard, you set the new standard. That doesn't mean that you're always going to be the most liked, because what that means for others is they now feel threatened, and they feel bad. I hope that you can hold on to that if you ever get put down, Alyssa, or anybody that's experienced that, hold on to doing the right thing.
Justine: I was going to say. I don't think we realized, but there was another submission for Nedra last night. What's unique about her submission is her comment. I'll just read it. Over the last two years, she began the care cabinet, and that they want to move the care cabinet to other areas of the hospital where patients in need of serenity and a calming atmosphere can experience the magic of the items. That's cool.
Sarah: That's crazy.
Justine: Three nominations.
Sarah: Talk about a ripple, which is the point of the Starfish Awards, you doing those things. It doesn't matter if you're Nedra or anybody else that I really, I want to believe that good prevails. Those good acts and those ripples, really do make a difference. I know that so many of you who are those people sometimes are bullied, sometimes are put down, and have to fight for what's right. Oh, that's just sucks, but it's their issue, not yours. I hope you realize that the ripples are happening, whether you're recognized for them or not.
My next one is Tony Roma, not to be mistaken as Tony Roma's. I was like, I will never forget your name, which I'm sure it's not the first time you got that so I apologize. All right, so this comes in from Jennifer who nominated you, Tony. It is with great pleasure and respect that I nominate Tony Roma for the Starfish Award for her extraordinary impact as a nurse, reflecting the essence of compassion and genuine care encapsulated in the spirit of the award. Tony's exceptional care shines through the heartfelt words of a patient who described her experience after delivering a baby diagnosed with Down syndrome.
The patient shared, you were my nurse when I delivered my special baby girl. I thought about you so many times since that day, and how caring, kind, and compassionate you were. I felt like you were sent to be there for me to help guide me through. Tony's ability to connect deeply with her patients is evident as she provided tailored support during one of the most vulnerable moments of their lives, making a lasting impact on this family's journey. Throughout her time in the hospital, Tony consistently goes above and beyond her responsibilities during this particular patient's labor and delivery. She ensured that every need was met with unwavering dedication.
The patient noted throughout the whole labor, going above and beyond to make sure I was the most cared for. Tony's commitment to enhancing the healthcare experience, even amidst challenges, shows her dedication to patient advocacy and wellbeing. Tony's compassionate approach not only affects her patients but also inspires her colleagues. Her dedication and empathy foster a culture of kindness within the organization. The sentiment expressed by the patient, it's people like you that make the world a better place, recognizes Tony's influence. She encourages others in the healthcare field to embrace the same level of compassion and commitment to their patients.
Even when faced with the emotional challenges of nursing, including working with families experiencing difficult realities, Tony exhibits resilience. She continues to take on every meaningful interaction, believing that even small gestures can have a profound effect. The patient's appreciation for Tony returning to her room after her shift shows the lengths to which Tony will go, reinforcing her commitment to making a difference, even when it may feel like a small act. Tony's integrity and empathy set her apart as a role model. She exercises patient-centered care and decision-making, always ensuring that she places the needs and feelings of her patients first.
The assurance she provided during this turbulent time resonates deeply, showcasing her ethical leadership practice. Her patient noted, I have never encountered a nurse quite like you. Tony exemplifies the spirit of Starfish Award through her personalized impact, unwavering commitment and ability to inspire others. Her dedication to patient care truly transforms lives, and her actions ensure that she makes a meaningful difference for each individual she encounters. Tony for the Starfish Award, as she embodies the essence of compassionate nursing and truly makes the world a better place one patient at a time.
Justine: Yes, that's awesome. That is the Starfish Award.
Sarah: I know. It's exactly what it is.
Justine: Also, the nurses writing these write-ups, dude. I'm just so impressed. I'm like, are you Chat GPTing this?
Sarah: I'm sure there might be some support in it, for sure. Hey, as long as it's accurate, who cares?
Justine: Use your resources.
Sarah: Exactly. I think what stands out to me and what made me really excited was this idea of like, she leads by example. That the culture of the unit is better because of how she cares for her patients. That really is the opportunity that we all have.
Justine: And has resilience to keep going. I would be interested on the award to if we could put how long they've been a nurse would be interesting. Not that it would matter in the choosing, but it would be like, oh, she's been a nurse for 35 years and she's still doing this.
Sarah: Yes, so true.
Justine: Let's do Crystal Johnson. Crystal, you were nominated by Sam Noble, and she wrote that Crystal is one of those nurses who will give 3,000% to her patients, families, and colleagues. She builds relationships every single shift, every single moment. I've watched her in multiple emergencies, step up and respond while doing so in a calm manner, and being inclusive of the patient and family. Just a side note. We've read that multiple times now, like how important it is and how other nurses are watching you. [crosstalk] in emergencies.
Many nurses have the skills and can do things, but to do so in a way that connects with the patient is a superpower not everyone has. In one situation, she advocated for the patient's clinical situation, notifying the provider of a personal uneasy feeling connected with a category two tracing. She remained at the bedside during the prep and guided the room. When fetal heart rate tracings were lost, she did not take the time to attempt to find heart tones. She trusted her gut and called for help moving the patient to the OR. She advocated for the life of the fetus and that mom.
In another situation where a patient was having a reaction and developing a systemic compromise and was decompensating once again, she stayed at the bedside and got the help she needed there. She advocated for the father and the baby, bringing in the help to ensure that they were communicated with the whole time and cared for throughout the event. While concurrently assisting with emergency prep procedures, she kept in clear communication with the patient, reassuring, explaining, calming, and validating all the things needed to assist with potential birth trauma recovery later on.
I want to say too, it's not that they're saying like, she threw in a third IV. She is holding the cord off the head, right? She's all these things, it's the relationship she's building with the family and the patient, it's really nice. Because even if you're really new, you don't have to be super experienced to be able to do these things. This talks about, she never judges, never writes someone's story. It does not matter if the mom uses drugs, doesn't have custody of her other children, is in a poor situation. She cares for them in the moment and meets them where they're at, responding to their needs and their requests.
I've seen some of the most timid patients opened up to her and has assisted with the help and resources that they need. It goes on and on and on about her trust and support. She's also a part of a unit shared governance committee and obstetric drill team, empowering her colleagues to provide best practice and educated care. She is the first to jump in when a colleague needs a hand. She checks in regularly with every member of the team and is always stepping up to be extra hands when needed. She's absolutely phenomenal and deserves every bit of this recognition. It's awesome.
Sarah: Could we ask for anything else?
Justine: No.
Sarah: What I loved about this one was also the well-rounded excellence in ability to handle the nursing side of our job. What I never want to get lost with what's important to us is the high-risk critical events, the medical knowledge, not just the, get on their level, but that combination of being like the smartest nurse in the room that knows everything about everything. That's why you get your pocket guide.
That's why you do your RNCOB. That's why you're taking classes all the time to be the best you can possibly be in your brain, combined with that art of compassion and connection, and realizing that there are human beings who will be forever changed by this moment in the room is really quite the art and science combo. It just sounds like she does this so perfectly. What a resource you are on your unit.
All right, this is Genevieve, nominated by Kim. Genevieve has been an amazing mentor and support person for me. Okay, pause before we get into this. Initially, this first sentence got me because how often are we as nurses who especially precept, getting recognized for the difference that we're making in shaping the future generations and the future of our unit? I love that this person here, she's a mentor to her.
We work in the hospital setting, and unfortunately, as hospitals often do, they are focused more on which trash should go in the blue bin and which trash should go in the red. Truly, there have been countless minutes and even are devoted to this topic. Genevieve can help redirect the energy so it is focused on the patient and her desires for whatever birth they're hoping for. Genevieve is the first to raise her hand when there is an unmedicated prime with a complicated birth plan. Those are her favorite.
While most staff is eager to have the multi with an epidural, Genevieve loves putting her knowledge into action. Her understanding of female anatomy and physiology is unmatched by most nurses and even some docs. Love it. She advocates for the patient. When doctors are quick to cut, she is passionate. She gets lost in patient care in a good way. She has a way of redirecting medical professionals back to the core of what truly matters, the patient and their desires.
It's nurses like Genevieve that often go unappreciated by management because her focus is on helping patients to achieve their desired births rather than which method is going to bring the most money to the organization. I've learned so much from her and aspire to keep my focus on the patient even when it gets challenging with doctors and management, breathing down my neck with clock watches and fake statistics. I know sometimes it's a challenge for her to play the game, but her creativity, education, and ability to get even the most epiduralized patients into hands and knees is remarkable.
This one stood out to me because it sounds like they're in like a very medicalized environment, also, why I didn't read first and last names. I just like, for those of you that are in challenging medical environments, and maybe what I'm also sensing is a lack of trust in the system and in management. I just want to remind all of us that what you have control over is your own care. As we read these little pieces, I hope that you can take some inspiration from, oh yes, that's what it's about. Oh yes, I'm going to own it.
It sounds like Genevieve just owns it and has also owned her education, which we're lifelong learners, right? We talk about that a lot too. We're just, I just am so proud of everybody we've talked about, but also all the other stack of people that are in my hand here that we're not going to be able to get to or we'd be here for 5,000 years.
Justine: There's one more that I need to clear. This one is Jen Young, nominated by Debbie. There's just a, there's a sentence in here because we knew we were going to do little clips. She advocates fiercely for her patients, standing firm when it counts, being the tough nurse when it's needed most, all while never losing her warmth or gentleness.
Sarah: Also, that's the art. That is an art. It is skill. It's one of those things that's, it's a soft skill that may not be appreciated or even recognized, but I love it.
Justine: It's a skill and then with the patients, but it's also a skill of not losing your rapport and relationship with providers. It's that how important it is to build our relationship with providers, know what you're talking about. You can be tough, they can respect you and not write you up because you're advocating because that does happen. Then we lose our spark to do that.
Sarah: Alicia McNally, you are it, nominated by Kennedy. What I love, there was a few that talked about the nurses being their nurse for the nurse's birth, like them giving birth as a nurse. I just think that connection is so special. It also is an opportunity for you to really experience what it's like to receive the care that one you give, but also they give. You not only have the coworker perspective, but you also have the patient perspective. Mind you, we all know that us, as nurses, we get the best treatment ever. Regardless, it's still in there and coming from somewhere. I have no doubt that this happens all the time.
McNally was my nurse for both of my deliveries. This moment is about my first delivery. My water broke about 11 PM I was 38 weeks pregnant. I was totally unprepared. My husband and I headed for the hospital. I labored for a little bit, then decided to get my epidural. McNally took over as my day shift nurse. She checked me and told me I was complete around 11 AM. Tried to labor down, but became very uncomfortable. McNally came and started pushing with me. I pushed for about an hour and a half to two hours.
We decided to get my epidural dosed and labored down for a while. My primary OB was on vacation. One of her colleagues was covering me. It was about 4 PM, and she came in and checked me, said, feels like a big head," walked out of the room, and chatted with McNally and gave me till 5 PM. McNally came back into my room and said, okay, Kennedy, you've got till 5:00 or she's going to a section. McNally worked her magic. She shook my apples, did side-lying release, flipped my son from straight OP to OA.
I delivered in 30 minutes after I was given the ultimatum. McNally saved me from a C-section. My husband is still very grateful for her to this day. She even came in on her day off on night shift to help me deliver my daughter just over two years ago. The labor was much smoother than my first. I'm so grateful that I get to work with this wonderful and compassionate nurse. I will be forever grateful for her.
Justine: There's something to the momentum now of saying that you're like on the timer.
Sarah: Oh, yes.
Justine: For the patient, like, oh. I don't like that we do that, but if there were concerns, I get it, but anyway.
Sarah: Totally. She's an L&G nurse. I would expect you to come in and be like, you're on the clock, boo, let's go, The fact that like, obviously her words were down-to-earth, compassionate, and badass. Yes, go be those badass nurses that are like, ultimatum, schmatum, watch us. Activate that physiology and get that baby out. Just so cool and so like lovely. What a beautiful world we live in and what a beautiful gift is this job.
Justine: You've had such a good day.
Sarah: I've had the best day.
Justine: What size is two families just launched? You have that spritzed up. You just get to read these and culture core apps.
Sarah: I know. So good. Grateful for all of you. Happy Nurses Week.
Justine: What's coming on this season of the podcast? We have some fun and interesting guests. That's what I have for you right now.
Sarah: Fun and interesting guests.
Justine: Kaylee Summers, who you might know as Birth Trauma Mama with AFE Survivor. She was a really great one. You were talking to Monica. How do I say her last name?
Sarah: Macklemore.
Justine: Macklemore. Do you want to talk a little bit about her?
Sarah: Yes, she is. I don't want to butcher her background as I don't have it in front of me, but basically she is an advocate for the world of birth and human rights, but I'll say women's rights. We're going to talk about the current state of the US and what's been happening a little bit politically, and how it affects us as nurses. That is one that I have not had that conversation yet, but I am thrilled. I met her at A1 California. She came up right after me, and she had said before, she was like, you set me up so well with your talk on physiologic birth and everything, and blah blah blah. Then she came up and was like, we literally planned it to like, okay, I'm going to do this. Then you come up in this, and it just, oh, it was so synergistic. I'm so excited to have this conversation with her for our community.
Justine: That's awesome. Then we had Jen back. Jen's one of our educators of Elderbirth Nurses, Jen Atkinson, and she's always a pleasure to have, as well as Heidi Nielsen.
Sarah: Lots on fetal monitoring this.
Justine: Yes, two episodes on fetal monitoring, which is good. We've noticed that we had that meeting like I talked about, and we looked at what you guys enjoy listening to because no one ever messages us to tell us as much as we wish you would, but we're looking at the data. We're just trying to make it so that you enjoy. We're trying to go shorter, too. This one is not a good indicator.
Sarah: No, they're all so long this season. I'm not going to lie.
Justine: Really still?
Sarah: Yes, I think we're 45 minutes. It's the ride to and from work. Basically we're giving doubles because we only do 12 episodes. Just listen throughout the week because we've been trying to keep them shorter.
Justine: We have been.
Sarah: Yes, it's not happening.
Justine: Thank you again. We have had people reach out like, are you guys doing another season? We're here, we're doing two seasons a year, 12 episodes each. Thanks for listening.
Sarah: Yes, we're happy to be back.
Justine: Thanks for spending your time with us during this episode of Happy Hour with Bundle Birth Nurses. If you like what you heard, it helps us both. If you subscribe, rate, leave a raving review, and share this episode with a friend. If you want more from us, head to bundlebirthnurses.com or follow us on Instagram.
Sarah: Now it's your turn to go and throw the starfish back in the water. One action, one word, one moment of compassion, one competency. Together, we will clear off the beach and continue to make a difference in OB. We'll see you next time.
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