Jesse is deserving of the DAISY award for the expemplary medical and emotional care he gives all of our patients and families. His knowledge is impressive and his sincere concern for patients and their families is something to be admired.

In the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit it is easy to group the parents as one, calling them "mom" and "dad". This shortcut isn't offensive, but it takes away the family's sense of being more than just another set of parents. Jesse makes an effort early in his care to find out the parent's name, and to use it or "Mr., Ms." when appropriate. This helps the care feel more personal, and shows them that he cares about not only the child, but their wellbeing as well. This may seem like a small act, but it is something that moves mountains with parents.

Jesse is also incredibly compassionate with patients. We had a little girl that came into the unit monthly for several months. One day she saw "Nurse Jesse" wearing a scrub top that had the Peanuts characters on it. It made this little girl's day. She loved the characters and would get excited every time he walked in the room. That scrub top distracted a scared little girl from everything around her. After that Jesse kept up with when she was coming back and would make a point to wear that scrub top for her. Again, this is a gesture that may seem small to most but it made a huge difference in this little girl's care.

I always give Jesse a hard time when I work the day after him and have his patients, because in the interactive kids I always get the same question: "Is Jesse coming back today?". When I tell them that he isn't they are always disappointed. He provides compassionate and friendly care that makes a difference in lives of our kids and families. He leaves a mark on so many, but he doesn't see it that way. To him he is just providing competent care, but in fact, that care actually goes above and beyond.