We spent several months in the PICU and loved all of our nurses, but "Ms. Jenn" is extra special. The first time she worked with our son, she succeeded in keeping him calm and happy while sedated and intubated, which no one else had managed. She then extubated him, and made the process as calm, cheerful, and happy as she could. Over the following months, she got to know not just our son, but our family, and how our routines worked, so that she could maintain his routines.

On a later visit, he returned from the OR and there was a communication mix up so we weren't waiting in the right place: Jenn even remembered to spray our lavender spray on his blanket to snuggle him up in, and kept him happy! In his day-to-day life, Jenn gained his trust and love. She is one of the few people that he will allow to carry him around and care for him, other than mama and daddy, and his love of her is obvious. The other day, in the OR recovery room, he heard her name and immediately perked up, and was delighted to greet her smiling, despite having been intubated so recently.

Jenn is incredibly special because she has constant positive energy, constant love of the kids she works with and the challenges that working with them presents, and constant professionalism, respect, and collaboration with parents and doctors. Most of what I've listed is why we love her as a person, but she is an incredibly good nurse! Her care of my son is smooth and seamless. She is creative in coming up with plans to provide care to suit my son specifically, and streamlines the process. When other nurses come in, or when we have worked with other nurses elsewhere, it is hard not to compare to the high standard Jenn sets, or to answer their questions, "this is what Jenn did, that worked..." Jenn is so VERY deserving of this DAISY Award.