WACO, Texas — It is national nurses week and we continue to salute our nurses in Central Texas. We've heard some amazing and uplifting stories already, and today I feature for you a true "homegrown" nurse who is making Central Texas and her family very proud.
Maddie Wellborn is a hometown hero nurse through and through. She's a labor and delivery nurse at Baylor Scott and White, and she was born there when it was just Hillcrest. She graduated from Baylor and has been working for 3 years now.
"Oh man, let me tell you there is no better fit in the hospital for me, which I never would have said going into nursing school," Wellborn said. "But this place is - I mean pun intended - life giving. I love it, I love what i do. There are hard days like there are throughout the whole hospital, but for the most part this place is filled with joy and excitement and chaos and I love it."
Nurse Maddie Wellborn shares love for labor and delivery at Baylor Scott & White
Not to bury the lead here, because this story is about Maddie, but we should mention that she is the middle child of the voice of the Bears, and KCEN host of the Big 12 update, John Morris. Those close family ties make her position in labor and delivery the perfect career choice for her.
"I would say one, take a big deep breath because as much as you plan this baby, it is going to come literally whenever it wants. So you can plan and plan all day long, but it's going to happen when it's going to happen, so that would be my first piece of advice," Wellborn said.
"Then my second piece of advice is that while we're not family and super close, I feel like myself and my coworkers are the next best extension of that; we're your biggest cheerleaders and we will love you well and we will serve you well. I can say that for our entire hospital system. No matter where you are. "
What Maddie does sure hits home with me. My grandson was born right here and the staff and the experience - simply amazing. But she and the rest of her coworkers have really been battle tested over the past two months and have risen to the challenge.
"It's been kind of hard just to keep up with the ebb and flow of what we need to do, but our biggest thing is we've just kind of cut down on visitors. We only allow one with each mom, and we just remind them that this is your moment and you get to enjoy it with whoever is with you, and when you go home you can still choose to have a party if you choose to," she said.
"What I've really reflected on lately and what I've really thought is cool is in a time where we've been ordered to social distance and shelter in place, we get the opportunity as nurses - whether in labor and delivery or wherever you are - you get the chance to break down those barriers and you don't get the option to social distance," Maddie added. "You get to still love on your patients and just kind of be the hands and feet of Christ, and just whatever they need in those moments. "
Also on KCENTV.com
