"To do what nobody else will do, a way that nobody else can do, in spite of all we go through: is to be a nurse". Since Jeremy began his time on 3N as a student, he has shown that he has what it takes to not only be a nurse but to be one of the best. Many of his personal attributes are also shared by successful nurses. He is an excellent communicator, has impeccable attention to detail, flexibility to act as a relief charge or resource to other staff, and most of all empathy.
All of these skills were recently seen in action with an inpatient encounter on 3N. We received a patient that was identified as a PICLEA (prisoner) and Jeremy was one of the first nurses to work with the patient. When I took over care one morning from Jeremy, I was surprised to find the patient interacting with staff and participating in patient rounds. While many do participate in their care, I have never seen any participate and vocalize as much as this patient did. While I was performing my Nurse Leader Rounding on the patient, I found out why. The patient stated that from the first interaction he had with Jeremy, he was treated with respect as a fellow human being. He was shown empathy that was too often denied a person who was incarcerated and his dignity was preserved. The patient continued that while he has never received bad care at any UNMH facility, this was the first time that he felt like he was a human and not just a criminal or a number.
Jeremy not only listened to and addressed his concerns, but he also spent time talking with the patient and kept him informed about what was going on with his condition. The patient knew that his prognosis was not a good one but Jeremy helped to keep his spirits up and for a brief time until he returned to prison, the patient felt like he was no different than other patients.
What makes this even more remarkable is that the guards were not shy about divulging to staff the crimes this patient had committed and how long he had been in jail for. If this bothered Jeremy, he never let that impact how he interacted with or cared for the patient as so many healthcare professionals before him had. He treated him like he would treat any of his other patients and advocated for what the patient needed. He not only provided nursing care to this patient but addressed the often forgotten psychosocial needs of incarcerated patients. He nursed the entire individual.
The patient did give numerous iCares to other staff members on the unit, a first according to the patient, but Jeremy was the first one to interact with him and he really set the tone for the rest of the stay. The patient said he hated being in the hospital but because of people like the staff on 3N, especially Jeremy, this hospital visit was the best and he hoped that regardless of a patient's status they could come to 3N and receive the quality of care Jeremy had given him.