Jane Chown is the definition of a truly compassionate nurse and goes ten steps above a nurse's duties. We were in the ICU with our family member, and things were looking very grim, but she never gave up hope that he would turn around for the better. She took every measure possible to make sure we were all informed of every procedure, medication, and each and every change in his status.

Three of us have a strong medical background, but we were on the family side of it and not the healthcare side which is soooooo different. She explained things in depth and was extremely patient with us and our many questions as if we had zero medical knowledge because at times, it seemed all of our brains were strictly in family mode. This was OUR loved one, not one of our patients, which is a totally different mental space.

She treated us all as if she were also part of this family, and we would all happily adopt her as one of ours. Her compassion and great knowledge made this whole terrible transition as easy as it possibly could be. She even had soothing, soft music playing to help with the calming effect. Her words were direct when needed but calming at the same time. Not one time did she make any of us feel as if we were a bother to her by asking questions or simply just by being in the room.

I know for a fact this is her daily nursing practice because, at one time, I worked side by side as a coworker myself. Her integrity and passion for her patients is top-notch. We all feel as if the lord picked her to be his nurse because she was truly an angel in human form. I know she worked extremely hard the two days she took care of him, she never batted an eye or complained one bit about how hard he was making her work to keep him as stable as he could be considering the circumstances. I know she went home absolutely exhausted those two days because he had her running nonstop, with either hanging one of the 8 drips he was on, making phone calls to numerous docs, keeping us informed, struggling to keep him somewhat stable during CRRT, and yet she still remained patient, compassionate, and always approached us with a smile. She gained the whole family's trust and respect, which is very difficult to do. Not a single thing occurred that she didn't take the time to inform us of when and why. She was a true blessing to our family and stayed with us during his final moments.

Jane is definitely a nurse who pours her WHOLE self into caring for her patients, and that extends to the families as well. She is a huge asset to the CHI St Vincent ICU staff. She deserves great recognition for just being the wonderful person/nurse that she is. Any healthcare worker should look at her as a model of how patient care is supposed to be done. There aren't enough thank yous in the world that can be given to show our appreciation. She is one of a kind!