Jeanne absolutely went "All In" for V, a patient, during our time with her. She was to us everything your hospital stands for but in a person. We wanted to list some ways she stood out during V's stay. So many people go out of their way to complain but not nearly enough people do the same for those who go the extra mile. These are just a few things she did to make V, and those who love him, feel at home:
Jeanne showed a genuine love of her job, seemed happy to take care of V, and went out of her way to get to know him and connect with him on a personal level. As a result, he was much more willing to follow her directions and do his breathing exercises, which she made into a fun game.
Jeanne met his level of energy and really noticed little details about how he felt, and connected with his mom to show that she cared and wanted to know if her observations were correct; she talked to mom a lot in a way that made mom feel heard and in control. Really felt like she was an advocate for V and for mom together as a team, and not like it was part of a script she had been told to say.
Jeanne went out of her way to do nice things and take care of the family too and used what she noticed to customize her care and make it more personal to us. She was generally just really pleasant and really added joy to the room every time she came in.
Jeanne found ways to play and join in whatever was going on in a way that made her seem like part of the family.
I kept thinking of the phrase at the hospital that said, "Kids go all in - so do we," and thinking about how Jeanne embodied that phrase so much. It's not that she did anything big, but little things with great love that made all the difference to us. Because she went "all in," so did V. We saw him be himself more with her than anyone else during our stay. We all breathed a big sigh when we met her because we could focus on V and not on all the "other" stuff because she did it so well. When we think of our experience at Children's, we will remember this nurse.