Jordan Howard, RN
June 2021
Jordan
Howard
,
RN
MICU
CHI Memorial Hospital
Chattanooga
,
TN
United States

 

 

 

I will never forget is how her eyes lit up when Jordan referred to her as my Grandma.
My family and I would like to recognize Jordan Howard for her outstanding care for my grandmother. In my family, there are 7 of us, each with very different personalities and opinions. Being a healthcare worker myself I know that a DAISY Award or even nomination is a big honor. Sometimes letting someone know that you are grateful for their time is oftentimes overlooked or forgotten.

With that being said when my grandmother passed I knew I wanted to write a DAISY Award Nomination for the nursing staff here at Memorial but it’s not easy to pick just one. At a family dinner, while discussing arrangements, I asked each family member which nurse or nurses they would like me to recognize. We had been in the ED, 4 South, OR, MICU, and finally 2 South with multiple shift changes. Surprisingly my whole family picked Jordan. I received so much feedback from my family that writing this was easy.

My grandfather who had been married to my grandmother for 58 years, loves to talk about their life together and simply talk, admired Jordan’s patience. He said, “She made sure things were taken care of, that your Grandma was taken care of.” My grandfather is 92 years old and had to have a family member with him to get to the unit. My family sat down and agreed who would bring him, and when so that we could all see Grandma. We didn’t know when the last time we would be able to see her might be. Each time we visited, Jordan would take the time to explain what was going on and always gave my family the latest update. Even if things hadn’t changed much between visiting hours, she would still explain things to whichever family member brought Grandpa up at that time.

In life, it’s the little things that make a large impact, and for my Grandma, it was having her husband and family near her. On Tuesday, my grandmother was extubated. This was the first time in 3 days that I was able to visit her. She told me how to plant my flowers for my garden, how to water them, and so much more but one thing I will never forget is how her eyes lit up when Jordan referred to her as my Grandma. I remember her grin as she said she must have a grandmother she loves. For her being called the correct grandparent name was special. I am the only grandchild and both my grandparents are proud to be Grandma and Grandpa.

I personally would like to thank Jordan for her communication. Always telling us who her night shift would be, asking if we wanted her turned, and always making sure we knew what was going on. I would also like to thank her for her respect, integrity, compassion, and skill. This young lady truly has the heart to be a nurse. She shows she is a nurse because she wants to be and because she cares, not because it’s a job. From the bottom of our hearts thank you.