DAISY Award—Shannon Schraeder
Shannon Schraeder
Davis 3 University Birthing Suites
Nominator: Mary Beth Penfold
Reason for Recognition: Shannon is the definition of an exemplary nurse. She is uniquely gifted and talented in the art of holistic care, and I have had the privilege of receiving this now in two of my labor & deliveries.
When I was laboring with my second daughter on October 16, 2021, Shannon came to my bedside and made the whole room feel completely at ease. She provided skilled nursing practice full of evidence-based research, perfectly combined with kindness and astute attention to my emotional needs. She included my husband throughout the entire experience helping us unite as a complete family and support system. Shannon gave me ample time to rest and allow my body to naturally progress labor. And when it came time to push, she gave me autonomy to push in the positions I desired. She washed me and made me feel safe throughout the whole process. That delivery was incredibly serene at midnight, and it was wonderfully peaceful. I only carry deeply cherished memories from that experience.
And then on May 10, 2025, Shannon once again came to my bedside, and I was completely confident I would have excellent care again. Shannon came ready to help me labor exactly as I was hoping. With the assistance of our UC Davis volunteer doula Cheryl Patzer, the two of them gave me freedom to labor through walking the halls, stretching, performing the labor circuit, etc. They used tools like the Tens unit, heat packs, counter pressure, all to help keep me comfortable. Shannon supported my desire to labor unmedicated as long as I could withstand ,while mindfully managing my gestational thrombocytopenia through getting an early epidural line placed without medication. I felt confident that I could continue to have autonomy, asking for medication when I needed it. And in the moments of deep pain, Shannon was a literal shoulder to cry on. Repeatedly I recall reaching for her hand and knowing she was ready to help carry my burdens.
After I had settled on starting the epidural medication, I had an intense wave of hormones come over me and I felt myself have an internal emotional breakdown. Shannon read me like a book and told me she knew I was trying to hold it all together, but that I didn't have to. I knew I had felt more seen than ever, and I burst into a thousand tears. She had given me the option to have her stay with me and out of my own embarrassment I declined to be polite. But Shannon then did something I will never forget, she stayed and comforted me. With one hand she stroked my forehead and massaged my head and with the other she diligently charted. The sheer touch and act of being present to my psychological and emotional self, meant everything to me. And she never stopped providing labor support all the while. In that amount of time, I was able to dilate from 4.5cm to 9cm because she had positioned my body to continue to progress the baby's descent. The baby was delivered at 2149 on night shift, but I know all her effort on day shift gave me that perfect set up to deliver shortly thereafter.
Shannon is one of UC Davis's best nurses, I know that with confidence having experienced and witness life-changing care. Both moments will live in my heart forever and I have her to thank for that.