Historically, a vocation can be referred to as a "calling" or professional career path to which an individual may feel passionate or passionate about. These professionals are compelled to dedicate an aspect of their life to help improve the lives of others. According to Ebertz (2015), a vocation is an individual's response to a calling that is beyond oneself to use their gifts and strengths to make the world better through creativity, leadership, and service. Similar to religious belief, a vocation rests on the belief that in order to truly live out God's message, one must find their "calling" in order to serve others and do good within the world. "Each individual has interests and passions that can propel them in directions of service and creativity and by living their lives as a response to a call, they find meaning in work and give purpose to their lives" (Ebertz, 2015). A modern-day example of a vocational leader at Chilton Medical Center is Jessica Heller.
Jessica began her calling as a registered nurse in 2007 originally working on 3-Ortho. After having a good three years under her belt as a medical-surgical nurse, she decided to strengthen her skills by transitioning over to the Cardiac Intermediate Care Unit, which is better known as the Cardiac Progressive Care Unit (CPCU) today. For the past ten years, Jessica has helped craft a workplace environment that is filled with comfort, wholeness, dignity, and peace for her fellow coworkers.
To begin, Jessica is oftentimes be seen using her passion for the profession to mentor new graduate nurses. One of the key characteristics of a charismatic leader is their desire to pass on their knowledge and experience to others. Similar to a teacher or mentor, a preceptor is an individual who cares more about helping others than benefiting themselves; they seek to make the world a better place through empowering and inspiring the individuals that they encounter on a daily basis. Jessica accomplishes just that, teaching her orientees to treat all patients with respect, dignity, and almost as if they were a member of their family.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Jessica worked tirelessly with her fellow colleagues to provide the utmost quality of care to the patient population. On a daily basis, Jessica set a positive tone for her unit, acting as an upbeat and encouraging beacon for her coworkers. Even on days when the end seemed nowhere in sight, Jessica created a healing environment for her coworker's physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing, oftentimes providing a shoulder to cry on. According to our hospital's nursing theorist, Jean Watson, success within the workplace "is defined not by wealth alone, but by how a leader cultivates and enriches the human condition" (Watson, 2015).
According to Watson, effective nurse leaders must craft an environment that supports healing with an encompassed focus on wholeness, peace, comfort, and dignity (Watson, 2015). One instance that I can remember clear as day was at the beginning of the pandemic when visitor restrictions first plagued our once communal hospital environment. Patients were stricken with emotions of abandonment, fear, and seclusion. The roles of the registered nurse had evolved from healthcare providers to one of friend, daughter, and guardian angel. Although we were advised to spend a "limited" amount of time within the patient's rooms, Jessica would always go the extra mile and devote time to ensuring that her patients never felt alone. She was oftentimes seen through the tiny windows now constructed on the doors tucking them in with a warm blanket, applying lotion to their tired toes, and holding their hand while she cooed them to sleep.
One fateful day, Jessica had an elderly patient whose prognosis was very poor. Jessica tirelessly advocated for this patient, making phone call after phone call to keep the family informed on what exactly was going on. After hours of advocating, Jessica was able to place this patient on hospice, starting them on a morphine drip to finally relax their tired body. Sadly, the family could not be at this patient's side due to the restrictions that the pandemic had placed on the hospital.
But Jessica was not going to let this patient's final moments here on earth be in vain.
Jessica was one of the first nurses on our unit to utilize the FaceTime application that has been downloaded onto the iPads stationed within the hospital. Jessica spent the better half of her morning coordinating with the family on when an appropriate time for them to FaceTime with the patient would be and say their final goodbyes. Little did we all know, however, that the patient resided within a skilled nursing facility with his wife of over sixty years. Being the empathetic nurse that she is, Jessica called up the facility and asked for the patient's wife's nurse. The facility was not up to date on technological advances and did not possess any iPad or Tablets to FaceTime. Jessica was determined that her patient see his wife for one very last time.
Together with the caretaker at the skilled nursing facility, Jessica coordinated a phone video-chat that allowed the patient's wife to say her goodbyes. The very last phone conversation between the patient and his wife that I had witnessed at the bedside while assisting her was one that left me in tears. The patient's wife was an older, yet beautiful woman of a different ethnicity. Although confused at her baseline, she recognized her husband instantaneously on the video-call. She lifted her weary head and spoke such soft, yet heartfelt words to her dying husband.
"I fell in love with you from the moment that I laid eyes on you so many years ago. And I will continue loving you until we meet again in heaven. Now go, close your eyes, and rest.."
Jessica stayed at the patient's bedside holding his hand, stroking his head, stating how much his family loved him until he took his final breath here on earth.
While Jessica could have easily spent her time catching up on her charting, she went that extra mile to ensure that her patient would not die alone within the lonely confines of his hospital room. During his last day spent on earth, Jessica dedicated her time to touch, wash, and hold this very patient as if it were her own family member in which she was caring for. When the patient finally closed his weary eyes, Jessica stroked his head, gave a heartfelt smile, and whispered in his ear, "you fought such a hard and long battle, my friend. Now please, go rest in peace, because you deserve it."
I feel as though Jessica is the perfect example of what it means to be a registered nurse; an individual who is selfless and compassionate in their dedication to their patients. She upholds the nursing oath of trust to protect and care for patients that she does not know, and perhaps will never see again within her lifetime. She takes the time each and every shift to nurture her patients throughout her strenuous and demanding workday, taking full responsibility for knowing every detail about each one of her patients. She relentlessly advocates for a better course of treatment and is an angel of strength; their voice of hope during some of their darkest days.
Jessica is so much more than a guardian angel for her patients; she is our guardian angel here on CPCU for her compassion, empathy, selflessness, and love for the profession of nursing.