Jennifer is the first to step up and willingly make adjustments to her personal work schedule to accommodate the needs of our department, picking up extra days and extra call. She has repeatedly done this, in cases of extended illnesses of coworkers, as well as when merited vacations of co-workers leave a need for coverage. Recently, she changed her schedule from 12-hour shifts to 8-hour shifts for several months in order to train and mentor new staff. This ensures that not only our patients are well cared for, but also the needs of one another.
Jennifer is a kind and gentle individual. She may be soft spoken, but she is a steadfast advocate for those whom come to be in her care. She is not only knowledgeable, but she wisely applies her knowledge in her compassionate and gentle style for the definitive benefit of her patients. Jennifer is a firm advocate for patients' rights. She artfully balances the needs of her patients with the appropriate modalities that fall within the scope of their informed medical choices. She expertly explains a patient's options and routinely explores, researches, and presents alternative methodologies. She skillfully presents these options to healthcare providers. She brings a can-do attitude and does not easily give up. You most certainly would want her in your corner!
Jennifer has single-handedly created, and presented on multiple occasions, an educational medical seminar in Korean, reaching out to an under-served foreign language community. She not only presented the 2.5-hour seminar but also developed and translated multiple informative department brochures on varied topics pertaining to non-blood medical management to hand out to the 170+ attendees. Jennifer volunteered over 150 hours of her own time developing and presenting these seminars, her only goal being to make sure these ones were aware of the expert care and resources available at Franciscan facilities for patients desiring the best care without the use of blood.
Jennifer cares not only for her patients, and her coworkers, but she continues to support her family as well. She lovingly advises and assists her aging parents as they face their healthcare challenges and navigates through the sometimes perplexing healthcare system. Just recently, she spent the evening with her family while dealing with a surgical emergency, staying most of the night at the hospital, then on very few hours of sleep, arrived to volunteer to speak at an English community seminar on equipment and procedures available in the hospital using one's own blood. Her tireless efforts and dedication to her family, nursing, this specialty program, and her coworkers never ceases to amaze us all. She beautifully demonstrates what it means to live with compassion both personally and professionally.
Jennifer is our department hero! She holds our profound respect and recognition, and she deserves to know how precious and extraordinary she is, not only to us but to our profession as nurses and to our healthcare system as well!