Jenna Bates
June 2019
Jenna
Bates
,
RN
Cancer Center
Carle Foundation Hospital
Urbana
,
IL
United States

 

 

 

We were lucky enough to meet Jenna when my husband was going through chemo. We would start off every chemo morning as we drove into town saying to each other, "I hope we get Jenna today." Jenna always greeted us with a big smile and asked us how we were doing that day. My husband, being a somewhat reserved and private person regarding health issues, could always open up to Jenna and really talk to her about how his chemo side effects were that past week or questions about sensitive topics. She would pull up a seat and really look at him in the eyes and pay attention to what he was saying. During one hydration visit, his heart rate was running higher than normal. Unable to be with him I was texting him throughout the day asking for updates and if I should be concerned. He texted me back and said, "Jenna is here and she's taking care of everything." I instantly felt relieved knowing that Jenna was taking his elevated heart rate seriously and was speaking with doctors, etc. about tests that could be done to check everything out. Another instance, we had Jenna during a chemo treatment and my husband kept getting hot flashes. Knowing that he had had troubles with fevers in the past, Jenna was right there with a thermometer checking his temp throughout the chemo day. It was calming for both of us to know that she was as concerned as we were. We cannot say enough good things about Jenna. She truly embodies all the qualities of an exceptional nurse and we truly are blessed to have met her.