Jessica Davis, MSN, RN, MEDSURG-BC

My daughter was brought to the hospital on Friday evening by ambulance after what we thought was an injury during a basketball game. Everything changed once we received the results of her X-ray and CT scan. We learned that she had fluid in her lungs and an unidentified mass and needed to be admitted for treatment.

We met Jessi within the first 24 hours of being admitted; she came in and took charge. She explained everything in terms that both my daughter and I could understand and told us just what to expect, both good and bad. You may think that this is her job and she is meeting her job expectations, but it's not what she did but rather how she did it. Jessi went above and beyond from the minute she walked into my daughter's room.

Jessi is very professional and a great mentor to others on the floor. You can tell that staff look to her for guidance and support, and she is patient with them as well.

My daughter had to have two chest tubes inserted, both procedures Jessi took charge and explained the procedures to both my daughter and me. Jessi displayed outstanding professionalism and expertise throughout the procedures making sure my daughter was as comfortable as she could be throughout as well as assisting the physician in performing the procedure.

In addition to treating and caring for my daughter, she has also been treating me (although she probably didn't even know it). Due to my daughter's illness, only one parent was allowed to stay with her. Without having the support of my husband physically in the room, Jessi allowed me to lean on her and be the support I needed during this extremely difficult time. She plays it off as if it's all part of her job, but she has no idea what she did for us during that time.

Jessi is an angel and should be recognized for her outstanding professionalism and care. I know this is not over for us, but I can honestly say I wouldn't have been able to get through it without her being my daughter's nurse.

One example: I stepped out of the room briefly today only to come back to find a pile of blankets on my cot and a kind note reminding me that I needed to take care of myself too. This gesture meant so much to me.

I told her a million times in the last two days how much I appreciate the work she does and the care she gives to her patients. I think she deserves to be recognized for her dedication to her profession and her patients, not just by her patients and their families, but also by her peers and her supervisors as well.