Jewell has a remarkable ability to connect with everyone in Critical Care, from experienced nurses to new grads, PCAs, ACPs, and physicians. She has built strong, meaningful one-on-one relationships with each team member, fostering a culture of trust, respect, and collaboration.

Her leadership style is grounded in humility and service; she leads by example and never makes anyone feel inadequate. You will never hear her say, “That’s not my job.” Instead, she steps in wherever she’s needed, always with a positive attitude and a willingness to help. Jewell demonstrates exceptional communication skills through her ability to actively listen and respond with clarity and empathy. She creates a safe space for dialogue, ensuring staff feel heard and understood.

Jewell articulates ideas clearly, whether teaching complex clinical concepts or providing feedback. Her communication is concise, purposeful, and tailored to her audience, whether speaking with new grads, seasoned nurses, or physicians. She ensures expectations are well-defined and consistently reinforces them through approachable and respectful interactions, fostering trust and collaboration across the unit.

Earlier in her career, Jewell applied for an educator position but was not selected due to not having her BSN. Rather than letting that setback discourage her, she used it as motivation to pursue her BSN and succeeded. Her determination and resilience are truly inspiring. Jewell’s background is primarily in cardiac and medical ICU, but she didn’t let that limit her.

As our unit expanded, she embraced the opportunity to learn the neuro side of Critical Care. She challenged herself, asked questions, and leaned on the expertise of the NTICU staff without hesitation or ego. Her willingness to grow and learn, never being embarrassed to ask for help, has made her an even stronger educator and role model.

This year, Jewell has truly had to think outside the box. With 30 new graduate nurses joining Critical Care, she faced the challenge of finding enough qualified preceptors. Jewell responded with creativity and leadership by developing a core preceptor model for Critical Care. This innovative approach has worked exceptionally well, ensuring consistency, support, and high-quality training for our new team members. Jewell models a love of learning through her active engagement in professional development and her pursuit of new knowledge. She maintains her CCRN certification, participates in the AACN, and continuously seeks opportunities to grow, most recently by embracing neurocritical care despite her cardiac and medical ICU background.

Jewell is never afraid to ask questions or learn from others, showing humility and curiosity. Her enthusiasm for learning is contagious, inspiring staff to pursue their own growth. She encourages evidence-based practice and fosters a culture where learning is valued, supported, and celebrated. Jewell establishes clear learning outcomes by aligning orientation goals with unit-specific competencies and individual nurse development plans. She communicates expectations early and revisits them regularly to ensure understanding. Her feedback is timely, specific, and constructive, focused on growth rather than criticism.

Jewell fosters a safe learning environment where questions are encouraged, and mistakes are treated as opportunities. She tailors her coaching style to each learner, ensuring feedback is both actionable and supportive. Her approach builds confidence, promotes accountability, and strengthens clinical skills across all experience levels.

Jewell is always available to staff, whether it’s answering questions, offering guidance, or simply being a listening ear. Her support doesn’t stop at the end of her shift; she has come in during the middle of the night and even helped troubleshoot issues from home to ensure her team had what they needed. Her dedication goes far beyond expectations and speaks volumes about her character and passion for nursing.