Allie Boyle: She empowers women, delivers babies as labor and delivery nurse

WATERLOO — Ask Allie Boyle to name her dream job and her response is, “I have it – and I’m very happy.”

Boyle, 31, is a labor and delivery nurse at MercyOne Waterloo Medical Center. Her job is to help moms safely deliver healthy babies.

“I love the moms. I love all the babies – they fill me with joy, but it’s the moms that keep me in it. I love empowering women,” said Boyle of Readlyn, a registered nurse at MercyOne for the last four years.

Boyle has been named one of The Courier’s Top Cedar Valley Nurses for 2023. She received 19 nominations, with the majority of comments praising her for providing “the best care to her families in the Birth Center at MercyOne. She works with a smile on her face even during the busiest and craziest of times.”

Her supporters describe her as “a blessing to patients and colleagues” and, collectively, offered their thanks to Boyle for “being who you are and for being amazing!”

Boyle is humbled by the recognition.

“I work with the best group of nurses in the world at MercyOne. I feel so fortunate to work with these nurses every day. I go to work and get inspired by them,” she said.

Boyle once dreamed about becoming a veterinarian. Then, at 18, the Waverly-Shell Rock High School graduate decided she wanted to help people.

The first step on her journey was training as a certified nursing assistant. Her responsibilities included providing basic patient care and working alongside nurses to gain real-world health care knowledge. That experience opened her eyes to nursing as a career choice.

“That’s when I realized I had a love for nursing. I wanted to keep learning and I’d never felt like that before. A light bulb went on over my head and I just knew that being a nurse was what I wanted to do.”

She carried a heavy course load through the demanding registered nursing associate degree program at Hawkeye Community College. Her studies became even more challenging “because I was pregnant with my second child,” Boyle recalled. She earned her nursing degree in 2017.

“I got a very good foundation in nursing from Hawkeye,” she said.

There have been mentors, too, who have offered Boyle guidance, support and advice on building a successful and fulfilling nursing career. Her goal is to be calm and collected, no matter the situation.

Boyle’s nurse colleague Becca Aronson said, “I’m so proud of her. She always goes above and beyond for her patients and provides the most amazing care. She’s always there when I need her.”

Boyle started in the pediatrics department and when she moved into labor and delivery, Aronson taught her “basically how to be a labor nurse. I think it takes a passion for this. We work weekends, long hours, always away from our families, so you have to love what you do to show up everyday and provide great care. You never know what to expect,” Aronson explained.

Boyle said, “Labor and delivery nurses see women at one of the most challenging and exciting times in their lives, when they are ready to give birth and bring a new little person into the world.

“Women have a lot expected of them, too. I know what they’re going through because I’ve been there. And sometimes, after the baby is born, moms are forgotten. Everyone comes to see the baby and they forget about mom. That’s who I like being there for, too.”

Boyle needs to be on her toes.

“It’s never a dull moment and things can quickly change. So I try to be the calm in the storm for moms. I want to provide them with support and knowledge. It can be especially scary for first-time moms but it’s also wonderful.

“And not everything is happy. When it’s bad, it’s the worst, and I have to be strong and support these moms through everything,” Boyle explained. “I’m very happy where I’m at in my career but it can be an intense job.”

Having the time to recharge her energy is important, Boyle said. She enjoys reading and walks but especially loves hanging out with her husband, Lucas, and their daughters, Evelynn, 10, and Brielle, 8.