Jennifer has been with the Yale New Haven Hospital St. Raphael’s Campus for 20 years. When Jen is on shift, she is almost always in charge. Jen helps to navigate tough discharges and helps to be an advocate for her patients. Jen has a wealth of knowledge regarding community programs, SNFs, and overall discharge facilitation. Jen demonstrates compassionate care in many ways, but one of the most consistent ways is by celebrating our patients’ birthdays while they are hospitalized. Jen especially celebrates our long-term patients by bringing in their favorite meal and throwing a birthday party at the nurse’s station. Although the patients can’t be home for their birthday, they are able to celebrate their birthdays with their Verdi 5 West family, with a balloon and their favorite meal or dessert.

Jen makes meaningful connections with many of our patients, but for one patient who was brought in after being found at home, confused and unable to care for herself, Jen took the time to comfort the patient and give her a routine while hospitalized. Throughout the patient’s time here, there was difficulty gaining conservatorship and reaching her family members. The patient would kindly wander around the unit, taking laps endlessly. Although the patient was confused, Jen’s face became a friendly face, and the patient always knew that she was safe. Jen would frequently reorient the patient to her room, condition and often brought the patient a morning donut as a sweet treat to start the day. After around a year of being here with no family visitors, Jen finally got in contact with her son. Jen encouraged the patient’s son to come and make a visit to witness the state the patient was in. After months of talking and encouragement, Jen was able to convince her son to make a visit. During the visit, Jen spent time with the son explaining the patient’s condition and consoling the son. The son was in disbelief of the patient’s condition and truly did not realize how confused she had become. Following the son’s visit, Jen maintained a close relationship with the son and patient. The visit encouraged the son to help facilitate the patient’s discharge, and quickly, he found a discharge facility to discharge the patient to while T-19 was pending.

Following the patient’s discharge, Jen has maintained a close relationship with both the patient and the family. In Jen’s spare time, she often goes to visit the patient at her facility and speaks with him on a regular basis. The son now leans on Jen for advice and as a sounding board to express his feelings about his mother’s changing condition. Without Jen’s personal connection with the patient and her son, the patient would have had a much more complicated discharge and would have been hospitalized much longer. Jen helped to heal a strained relationship between the patient and the son. Jen always helps to advocate for what is right for her patients and supports them both mentally and physically while hospitalized. We thank Jen for her continued years of service and are very lucky to have Jen as an asset to our team.