DAISY Award Spotlight: Raley Anzelone

Meet Raley:

Raley Anzelone, RN, Birthing Center, was the DAISY Award Recipient for Liberty Hospital earlier this year.  Raley is a mom to two daughters, ages five and two.  Raley has lived in Liberty her whole life, and also graduated from nursing school locally. She has worked at Liberty Hospital for five years; she started on postpartum mother-baby and moved to labor and delivery.  “I always knew that I wanted to be an OB Nurse,” Raley exclaims.  “My cousin had his baby, and it was a long process and as a close family, I had the opportunity to be in the delivery room.  After spending that day with my family in the delivery room, I noticed how wonderful the nurses were who cared for not only the baby but the whole family.  After that, I knew my calling.”

Q: What is your favorite part of being a Birthing Center Nurse?

A: “Being able to experience couples in their first moments becoming parents is such a special encounter that I get to witness every day,” says Raley.  “The look on their face after delivery is something so magical.”  Raley loves that she can help families navigate all of the emotions in labor and delivery from uncertainty to pure joy.  “You get to bond with your patients so much.  On day shift, I am able to labor my patient most of the day, and I’m in and out of the room constantly.  It’s a uniquely exciting and special time to be involved in someone’s life, and I am privileged that these patients are mine even for a little while.  It might just be another shift for us, but to them, this is the most important day of their lives.”

Q: Tell us your about how you felt when you received your DAISY Award?

A: “It’s hard for me to keep it together when I tell this story,” Raley recalls, emotionally.  “I remember that patient.  It was such a sad day for her and her family.  I left that day and thinking about all the things I didn’t do for her, or that I couldn’t do for her.  I remember thinking of what I could have done better.  Days go by, and those experiences never leave you.  Fast forward, when I found out I had won a DAISY award, I still remember her name and her face, and all the tears.  This proves, and gives all nurses a reason, to be a rock for your patient.  How you treat them really does have a lasting impact.”

Q: What certification did you complete with your DAISY Award scholarship?

A: Part of the DAISY Award benefits include eligibility to apply for an ANCC certification or renewal at a special rate of $200.  The Liberty Hospital Foundation helps sponsor this scholarship for DAISY Award winners if they choose to get a certification.  Raley received her Inpatient Obstetric Nursing Certification, RNC-OB.  “I had been wanting to receive more specialized training for a while.  I was not sure how I was going to pay for additional education, but with scholarships through the Hospital and Foundation, it was possible for me to complete it.  I was able to get my study materials and test paid for which was so helpful.”  This intensive certification helped Raley learned more about specific higher-risk patients and how to help administer better care in different situations.

About DAISY Award / DAISY Foundation

“Nurses every day go above and beyond to not only provide patients and families with excellence in clinical care but also compassion. At The DAISY Foundation, we aim to honor them by showing our profound gratitude for all that they do. The DAISY Award is a recognition program to celebrate and recognize nurses by collecting nominations from patients, families, and co-workers. It is run by our partners as a way to thank nurses for the care and kindness they provide.”

Raley’s DAISY Award Nomination from her patient:

“I had just gotten transferred from the ER after delivering my baby halfway through my pregnancy @16 weeks. The minute I was in labor and delivery she was waiting outside my door to greet us. From that moment until her shift was over she was amazing. This was my first birth, and she answered any and all questions. She helped me in anything I needed and had so much compassion for us in this terrible moment. I hope and pray I have her for any future deliveries I have. Every single family member and friend that were with me that night raved about how amazing she was. And multiple of them are medical staff as well.  I know this wasn’t only a difficult situation for my family and I. But also for all of the staff that helped. Especially Raley- she was in the trenches with me. We’re eternally thankful.”

Published on July 17, 2024

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