Jessica did two important things for us; she took proactive steps and she answered questions and gave explanations that others had been unable or unwilling to provide. I'm the patient's daughter, and I have spoken with several physicians and nurses. Jessica is very pro-active on patient's behalf. When Jessica came on duty she said that she was going to remove my dad's PICC line; I said that when I'd talked to the doctor earlier he'd said that it'd be removed the next day. Jessica immediately called to verify the order, instead of making assumptions. The next day, she checked the results of the trough test and called the pharmacist to report that the level of Vancomycin in his blood was 13.8, and to ask about the dosage. She explained to me that normally they'd increase the dosage to get the level up to at least 15, but that my dad's kidney functions had been very up and down during his time he'd been at the hospital, so the Vancomycin prescription was conditional, and had to be decided based on the lab results. The was the first time anyone had mentioned the kidney function fluctuations. Her explanations of the interaction among the dosage, blood levels, and kidney function was coherent and very helpful.
She is always very forthcoming with information, and responsive to questions. After a swallow evaluation, my dad was given thick liquids. No one explained why. He didn't like the thick water, and asked for regular waster, which I gave him. I asked Jessica why the thick liquids, and she explained that liquid was down the wrong pipe, into his lungs when he swallowed, and that the thick liquid was a better trigger to the epiglottis to function correctly. After that explanation, I made sure that my dad drank the thick water, because she had explained the importance of it. These are examples of the actions I have seen her take; I appreciate her forthrightness, her attention to her patient, her pro-active stance, and her willingness to respond to a series of detailed questions. She is an exemplary nurse!