Jacque Hensel was my nurse many times during my 35 nights spent in the ICU. I went through a lot of really hard times when some days would be fine, but many were painful, nauseating, depressing, and worrying. But without a doubt when shift change came around if Jacque popped her head in, she'd have a big grin on her face, and mine would instantly match it. She was smiling because she genuinely cared about me so much that she was honestly excited to see me. I'd start smiling because my heart instantly filled with joy. I knew that at least for that night, no matter how negative I'd felt about the day so far, I was going to feel safer, more cared for, and more positive about my situation, than other nurses could make me feel.
Jacque understood me and cared about me on an almost personal level. We joked around making each other laugh constantly. She spent a lot of the time some nights talking to me about my worst issues that day, and those long conversations always ended with me having a better understanding and a more positive outlook about whatever was troubling me.
A great example is when I was deeply lost in a week-long period of ICU delirium and intense hallucination, where I hadn't slept in days and it seemed like there was no end in sight. One of these nights, it was 3 AM and Jacque had just interrupted a hallucination I was stuck in and helped me calm down. She then went on to sit with me for over an hour (at 3 AM) to help me come up with ways I could try to combat this craziness and get some real sleep instead of getting lost in hallucinations every night.
The level of care and persistence Jacque was willing to reach any time I needed her to is unmatched by an average nurse, as she is no average nurse.
Jacque Hensel is a true DAISY Nurse.