Above all, Jennifer provides care that is individualized to the pediatric patient and their specific family needs. As an institution that prides itself on “Family-Centered Care,” Jennifer goes above and beyond to include entire families in the care planning for their child, always keeping in mind any cultural or religious beliefs. Jennifer provides this excellent care along with the multi-disciplinary team to provide the child/family with the expertise of many different professionals.

Quality patient care in the Pediatric Department is consistently modeled by Jennifer. Nurses, doctors and other professional staff comment on the “teaching moments” that Jennifer often provides. She is confident, knowledgeable, and approachable in these teaching moments which encourage staff confidence and familiarity with new or challenging procedures and techniques.

Jennifer can routinely be found rounding on all the PICU patients. She provides the highest level of service and professionalism to all members. She thinks innovatively about how things can improve or run smoother for the patient/family. This mindfulness of service goes beyond the medical needs of the patient but to the emotional and educational needs of the patient and family as well. No matter how much time a family needs to ask questions or understand what is going on with their child, Jennifer will kindly provide this time without making the family feel rushed.

Patients and families feel confident and comfortable with Jennifer’s advice and care and recognize she is working at her best for them. Regarding mentoring and teamwork, it is worth reiterating how open and willing Jennifer is to teaching not only the nursing staff, but also the medical students, residents, and various other medical professionals. She challenges and encourages pediatric staff to grow professionally while keeping the focus on the child and optimizing care, health, and overall development.

Jennifer leads numerous quality improvement projects within the department and throughout the facility. CLABSI Prevention, Policy & Procedures, Solutions for Patient Safety, Pediatric Delirium, Pediatric Sepsis, and Pediatric RRT to name a few. She has been instrumental in ensuring the pediatric population is represented at a Regional and National level. Jennifer also sits on the Core Groups/SST committee which establishes and governs the national standard contracts for Kaiser Permanente.

It would be impossible to write down every aspect and every way that Jennifer has positively influenced this department, the organization, and our members. The statements and examples written above are a small representation of her integrity and compassion for the children and families of this facility, and her dedication to her role as a Clinical Nurse Specialist.