Jasmin Elizarraras is an incredible Nurse Leader and should be recognized for her persistent efforts to better patient, family, and employee experience. She is passionate about celebrating her employees wins and fostering hope on the unit. She goes above and beyond to celebrate birthdays, certifications, and other professional and personal accomplishments to encourage employees to be their best and recognize their achievements. This healthy work environment in turn fosters relationships with patients and families. They are constantly remarking how much they love the 5K staff. Jasmin creates a more diverse and inclusive work environment, educating herself and her staff on ways to ensure everyone feels they can be their whole selves at St. Jude.
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A good leader is confident and honest, but a great leader inspires others to lead as well. Last year, I was in at a crossroad in my career as a Nurse. I spent ten years as a bedside Nurse, and I was considering my next steps. I felt a calling to serve as a leader on my unit, and a Clinical Staff Leader position presented itself. I weighed many options, and I decided to meet with my unit manager, Jasmin Elizarraras, to discuss the position further. After meeting with Jasmin that day, I knew that I was making the correct choice. Jasmin has supported me and has walked beside me in my journey to serve our staff. She makes herself approachable and available to our CSL team and our staff. I appreciate the way she has created a culture that allows us to ask questions and bring her our concerns without fear. Soon after she became our Unit Manager, Jasmin stocked a supply of "Nursing Essentials" in her office, a cabinet that she fills with snacks, mints, floss, hair ties, etc. Perhaps this does not sound like a grand gesture, but the time she devotes to thinking of the staff is so meaningful. By setting this up in her office, Jasmin extended an open invitation to visit her during the workday. The approachable “open door” policy she keeps completely changes the culture on our unit, allowing for meaningful, candid communication with the staff. Jasmin is always brainstorming ideas to make our staff feel valued and appreciated. She enjoys celebrating our Nurses and PCA's with birthday treats and goody bags on holidays. She comes in early and on weekends to get “face time” with our staff on all shifts. Our Staff Nurses are so appreciative of Jasmin’s willingness to work with them and provide some flexible schedules for Nurses to support work/life balance and meet their required hours. Her creativity and ingenuity have been instrumental in building a positive environment on the fifth floor. As a member of Jasmin’s team, I feel supported, appreciated, and lucky. Thank you, Jasmin, for your dedication to the St. Jude mission and to our Solid Tumor team!