2020 was a year of challenge, a year that Jennifer Egan took on. It was a year that challenged Jennifer like none other. It required a person with great respect, honor, leadership, compassion, and sacrifice. These stories are about all the little things that Jennifer does for her team members, BayCare, other units, and physicians.
Jennifer was given the challenge of taking on a new unit and keeping the current unit afloat by splitting up her team that was once for one unit, but now for two units. I deeply respect all other Managers during this frustrating year of Covid-19 stepping up to the plate as well, but she kept the faith in her team, dividing us up taking on a new way of nursing to another level by keeping us as safe as the supplies warranted. Jennifer ordered respiratory masks and goggles for her team and also the physicians if they wanted one. Compassion, yes, she has it. We don't always see the tears like I do. Like the ones I have now writing this and thinking of the sacrifices she has had to make for her team.
Jennifer has a tireless ability to make our units run smoothly for our team and our patients to the best of her ability. As she puts it, "I'm a bull in a china shop." But to all that know her and work with her, her compassion outweighs most. On a few occasions, she has been seen sitting at the bedside of confused patients to help keep them calm for hours. Once, we had a patient that loved to read the newspaper each morning. She found out about this and purchased a paper every morning for him. A while back, when we had a long length of stay patient waiting for a memory care placement, she bought her a few cute outfits and painted her nails for her to help with loneliness and comfort. She is willing to help any team member needing assistance with their patient. She can continuously be seen answering call lights, transferring patients, and helping the patient with ADLs.
When I needed to pick up my patient from HD and my tech was busy and no one else was available to assist me, Jennifer heard me outside of her office and offered to help. She not only walked with me to push my patient but the patient had a bowel movement while in dialysis. The patient also had several pressure ulcers on her. Jennifer spent at least 40 minutes helping me clean my patient up and change her dressings, I had been holding my bladder and she told me to go ahead to the restroom that she would finish cleaning up and she did. I've never had a manager help me clean up a patient like that and she actually got her hands dirty, she didn't just let me do all the wiping. There was another day I came on to a deceased patient and so I could take care of my other patients and get my blood sugars, she cleaned up the patient and took care of everything.