My daughter, N, was admitted to 6 East. This was N’s first hospital stay outside of the NICU. She had just turned 2, just to give an idea of her awareness of what was happening & what she was going through.

We feel ABSOLUTELY BLESSED to have had Jessica A. as our nurse 3 out of 4 days in a row. Out of a 5-day stay, N, as we all learned together, is notably strong when it comes to protesting her IV or any type of needle poke. Poor Jessica worked carefully on our first day to fix/save her IV that was placed in the ED. Unfortunately, it was a goner, but, still, that happened—Jessica honored & respected our every wish & request to be creative in obtaining blood from our girl.

Jessica expertly used her resources & advocated for only necessary pokes. As N’s parents, we cannot say enough how much this meant to us. Because less pokes = less stress on N’s body & mind, less of a toll on us & it truly allowed her to maintain her positive spirit, which is a triumph considering, in a hospital setting, for a small child.

Jessica never skipped a beat, even in difficult situations. Our hearts were at ease & shoulders would relax when Jessica would walk into our room each morning. Honestly, we felt so relieved & she was always in a positive, supportive mood & ready for each day. We’ve worked in a hospital before for years & Jessica absolutely deserves this award!

We are forever grateful because of her. If we ever have to come back to the hospital...