I browsed the internet for the definition of these two words: Team and Family. It says, “Family means having someone to love you unconditionally in spite of you and your shortcomings. Family is loving and supporting one another even when it’s not easy to do so. It’s being the best person you could be so that you may inspire your loved ones. Family doesn’t see color, race, creed nor culture, it sees heart.” Whereas, “A Team is defined as a group of people who perform interdependent tasks to work toward accomplishing a common mission or specific objectives.” Pondering these two definitions, I can’t help but think of my unit Jennie 10C. Yes, every day that we go to work, we always make sure that we adhere to UTMB values: we make sure that we demonstrate compassion, we always make sure that we act with integrity, we show respect to all, and we embrace adversity and we promote lifelong learning. But what makes my unit more special is that we treat each other like family. We never put division among ourselves nor individually identify ourselves with our job descriptions. Our unit is being unified with one thought that we are family and Jen 10C is our home and to do so we need to provide the BEST CARE to whoever comes to our unit. Starting from our Medical Director, to the Remmers doctors, to our Nurse Manager, the HUCs, PCTs, our housekeeper, the nurses, and down to the rest of the ancillary team members. Citing some examples:

Our Medical Director is like a father to us. He would listen to our family stories and would love to see the pictures of our pets, our grandkids, and our new homes. He knows our dreams and aspirations in life. He would encourage us to pursue our dreams. And like a father, he would brag us to the new residents, interns, and medical students thus increasing their confidence in us.

Our Nurse Manager is our big brother. He would make sure that we are comfortable and he will protect us at all costs. He won’t let us “drown” on our busiest days. He doesn’t shy away from bedside care. He always reminds the new hires to let him know if he could help them in any way. Everyone knows that he got our back.

The Remmers doctors are like our cousins. They would listen to our suggestions and value our opinions. Remmers doctors believe in team collaboration that contributes to excellent patient outcomes thus BEST CARE is provided to our patients. They are so easy to talk with and are never intimidating. Even after their rotations are over, they never forget our names and often come to the unit to visit and hang out.

The HUCs not only help us answer our phones and call lights but also help the nurses with little things that could help the busy shift be better. At the beginning of the shift, the HUC makes sure that the DNR forms are signed and if they learned that a blood transfusion is needed in one of the patients, they would check themselves if there is a “complete” consent in the patient’s chart. Little things like getting ice chips or water for the patients, they take it among themselves not to bother the nurses or the PCTs for the task. On one particularly busy day, the HUC personally brought breakfast on her day off to make everyone’s day a little bit better. The HUC also takes part in the mock code, therefore, making the nurses feel confident that during an actual code the HUC knows what to do and has proven each time. And just like a sister, we know that there is a shoulder we can cry on.

The PCTs are the backbone of our unit. Nurses know that no matter how heavy the patient loads are, the hardworking PCTs will help us make it better. The laughter that they brought to our patients shows that they are taking care of our patients like family. PCTs would even walk the extra mile for our patients such as helping get some items from home that are needed to make the patients' stay in the hospital better. In return, patients after discharge would come to visit the unit as an act of appreciation for the BEST CARE provided. 

The nurses know that we got each others' backs. We help each other “resurface” on days that someone is “drowning”. The new hires were never made feel like outcasts. New graduates were patiently guided and mentored to become successful in the unit. Education is the number one priority. Nurses would sit down to teach patients and family members about something that is needed prior to discharge. Nurses would make sure to involve the patient and family in the planning of care. Since nurses wanted to provide the BEST CARE to our patients, we make sure that it is a quality interaction each time. No matter how difficult the day is, we find solace in our laughter and camaraderie. We are never shy about giving or receiving hugs on our difficult days. Jen 10C nurses are committed to helping each other therefore, we know that we can overcome any challenges we face. Jen 10C’s teamwork, clinical skills, and compassionate care exemplify the unit that patients and their families and fellow UTMB employees recognize as role models. Jen 10C consistently demonstrates UTMB’s mission and core values.