Jillian Jowders
October 2015
Jillian
Jowders
,
RN
The Birthplace
Southern New Hampshire Medical Center
Nashua
,
NH
United States
As a nurse, I understand the difference a warm touch, a kind smile, and a heartfelt thanks can make on a patient. As a patient, I got to experience these superior acts of kindness among other skills from all the LDRP, Pedi, and NICU staff I came in contact with after the birth of my daughter this past May. One nurse, Jillian Jowders, and one moment especially stuck with me.
I am blessed to say my second daughter was born after a very short, un-medicated labor. We recovered well. She was feeding great, and our family was nearing discharge the next day. Dad and big Sis were very excited to have us home. On Saturday afternoon, our LNA came in, checked the baby and my vitals. Her temp was up, but not too high. Jillian reassessed the baby and her temp had stabilized -- maybe it was just environmental. A few hours later, another vital sign check showed baby's temp was up 38.2. Jillian acted. She reviewed the vitals with me, contacted the provider, and completed the orders prescribed by the pediatric provider. Baby needed labs, blood cultures, neonatology consult, IV antibiotics, and was swept to the NICU for a higher level of care. Subsequently, our baby was septic. We were scared.
It wasn't the nursing care or the tasks that the nurse completed that left me impressed. The next morning something profound happened. Jillian, who was still caring for me while my baby had become a NICU patient, came into my room she said something that stuck with me; "I thought about you. I checked this morning on you and your baby. I called NICU" all things she had done in the few short minutes that her shift had been started for. What that really said to me was that she cared. Jillian cared enough to think about me and my baby, my well-being, my emotional, and physical needs. She did this so swiftly so succinctly so passionately. She left me full of tears and speechless. She may not remember this one moment but I always will. Even in what seemed such darkness this nurse was my light.
You may think "wow this nurse must be a nurse for over 10 years"; but no, Jillian has been a nurse for a little over one year. She embodies the true meaning of nursing and has found her calling. She truly provides the higher level of care that we at SNHMC are devoted to.
I am blessed to say my second daughter was born after a very short, un-medicated labor. We recovered well. She was feeding great, and our family was nearing discharge the next day. Dad and big Sis were very excited to have us home. On Saturday afternoon, our LNA came in, checked the baby and my vitals. Her temp was up, but not too high. Jillian reassessed the baby and her temp had stabilized -- maybe it was just environmental. A few hours later, another vital sign check showed baby's temp was up 38.2. Jillian acted. She reviewed the vitals with me, contacted the provider, and completed the orders prescribed by the pediatric provider. Baby needed labs, blood cultures, neonatology consult, IV antibiotics, and was swept to the NICU for a higher level of care. Subsequently, our baby was septic. We were scared.
It wasn't the nursing care or the tasks that the nurse completed that left me impressed. The next morning something profound happened. Jillian, who was still caring for me while my baby had become a NICU patient, came into my room she said something that stuck with me; "I thought about you. I checked this morning on you and your baby. I called NICU" all things she had done in the few short minutes that her shift had been started for. What that really said to me was that she cared. Jillian cared enough to think about me and my baby, my well-being, my emotional, and physical needs. She did this so swiftly so succinctly so passionately. She left me full of tears and speechless. She may not remember this one moment but I always will. Even in what seemed such darkness this nurse was my light.
You may think "wow this nurse must be a nurse for over 10 years"; but no, Jillian has been a nurse for a little over one year. She embodies the true meaning of nursing and has found her calling. She truly provides the higher level of care that we at SNHMC are devoted to.