July 2026 Honoree
JR Powell, BSN, RN
A few weeks ago, JR helped me during a very difficult shift when I had my first patient code and death. He was the charge nurse and was in the room helping during the code, and as soon as the doctor called the patient's death, he turned to me to make sure I was okay. When he realized I wasn't, he took me to another room to take a moment to process things. He reassured me it wasn't my fault and I did everything I could to help my patient, and that sometimes these things just happen. He sat on the floor and listened while I cried and talked about how I felt, which was weirdly exactly what I needed. He then went and took care of the postmortem care so I didn't have to, even though it was the end of the shift and he had a lot to do.
He also made sure someone gave me a ride home since I was a hot mess and talked to my manager about taking my next shift off so I had time to recover. He even checked up on me throughout the week to see how I was doing and reminded me I am a capable nurse. It sucks having things like that happen, but JR is the kind of person you want there when they do because he always has your back. Don't let his grumpy facade fool you; he's an incredible and empowering nurse!
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JR makes going to a stressful job a little easier because even if it sucks, it sucks together instead of by yourself. It's still hard, but it's better when you have a strong support team to help you do your best and be there when things don't turn out how you hoped.
He also made sure someone gave me a ride home since I was a hot mess and talked to my manager about taking my next shift off so I had time to recover. He even checked up on me throughout the week to see how I was doing and reminded me I am a capable nurse. It sucks having things like that happen, but JR is the kind of person you want there when they do because he always has your back. Don't let his grumpy facade fool you; he's an incredible and empowering nurse!
***
JR makes going to a stressful job a little easier because even if it sucks, it sucks together instead of by yourself. It's still hard, but it's better when you have a strong support team to help you do your best and be there when things don't turn out how you hoped.
Thank you, JR, for your exceptional compassion, advocacy, and dedication to your patients. You truly make a difference.
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