I had the pleasure of having Jessica Baginski as a student in clinical with me in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit at Sinai Grace (SGH), in many courses, and as her faculty for her sepsis project. During her rotations, she was able to build on her pre-existing knowledge base and deliver evidence-based care to her patients. She quickly applied newly gained knowledge in her clinical rotations and used her new knowledge to advocate for her patients in her role as a staff nurse.

In one of our many conversations, she would tell me, "I taught the residents about how to resuscitate a patient today," or "I had a patient with liver failure and knew how to care for them."

During her rotation, I observed her caring for many vulnerable patients and families with very complex needs. She provided kind and compassionate care to all patients regardless of their backgrounds or the circumstances that brought them into our care. Her kind and caring demeanor allowed her to quickly establish a relationship with patients and families. She cared for critically ill and injured patients, along with end-of-life patients, with empathy and grace.

I received very positive feedback from the nursing staff and other members of the healthcare team, and the attending physician. Jessica’s zest for knowledge was quite evident. She always sought out learning experiences and served as a mentor to her fellow students. Her clinical expertise extended into her school work. She was always prepared for class, wrote scholarly papers, and developed a quality improvement poster on sepsis. She has been an integral part of student engagement for the last two years and has helped make the many events put on by the committee very successful.

Jessica was always willing to help in any way she could. She even came to help set up today for convocation. In addition, she has demonstrated the Franciscan values daily throughout the program. Some of the patient populations that she has cared for both as a student and as a nurse can be challenging due to substance abuse, risky behaviors/lifestyles, lack of healthcare literacy, and financial constraints. She always demonstrated respect for all patients, regardless of the circumstances that led them to her care. She did her best to educate patients and provide them with resources so that they would have the best possible outcomes. I can’t think of a more deserving extraordinary student for the DAISY Award than Jessica Baginski. Jess, I am sure you will continue to do great things in your career.