Melanie Chichester, BSN, RNC-OB, CPLC, a high-risk antepartum Labor & Delivery nurse at Christiana Hospital, received her second DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses in December.
ChristianaCare DAISY Award recipients are nurses recognized for meeting and exceeding the needs and expectations of patients and families by displaying exceptional clinical skills, compassion, respect and partnership.
The DAISY nomination came from a patient who described how Chichester helped her through the birth and heartbreaking loss of babies over the course of nine years. After their third time together, she wrote, “We were in complete disbelief that we would be going through this again.”
“When Melanie walked into the room, she hugged us before saying a word,” she wrote.
“Her hug was happiness and sadness all in one, and a comfort and relief I can never explain. Melanie held my hand in silence and in that moment I knew, as hard as this would be, with her there it would be okay.
“Melanie knew us. She knew what to do when we didn’t. She made sure everyone around us respected us and our unborn child. She was protective, my advocate and my voice. She talked to us about what we were dealing with and life in general. She put us at ease.
“Melanie made sure every step we went through wasn’t a surprise. She let me guide the way without judgment, making every decision I made the right one. She made sure my husband was involved and hugged and a part of everything. She knew all we wanted was to hold our baby and have memories to cherish forever. She made sure our child was cared for.
“Melanie was our angel. Thank you, Melanie, for loving our family the way you do. We will forever be thankful for you.”
The international DAISY Award program honors skillful and compassionate nursing care. The Professional Nurse Council at ChristianaCare selects DAISY Award recipients using an anonymous selection process based on nominations from patients, families and all members of the ChristianaCare team. All nurses — inpatient, outpatient and VNA — are eligible.
Make a DAISY Award nomination.