Jill Trzaska
February 2024
Jill
Trzaska
,
MSN, RN, BMTCN, OCN, CNL
Prentice 16, Hematology-Oncology/Stem Cell Transplant
Northwestern Memorial Hospital
Chicago
,
IL
United States
She listened without making me feel rushed or judged, and I genuinely could see from the look in her eyes that she cared. I wasn’t just a patient. I was a human with a story and a reason to fight, and she took it all in.
Post-stem cell transplant, this is my 5th inpatient stay with the Purple Team at Prentice. I have gotten to know the nurses so well, but Jill’s compassion is second to none. She is a charge nurse, but I had the pleasure of having her service on the floor one day.
Being back here time and time again unlocks a lot of medical trauma that I have yet to unpack from my transplant and a lot of uncertainty. I was having a particularly hard day on the day Jill was my nurse. I broke down, frustrated with just having been told that what I thought would be a 4-day stay was going to be 2 weeks of being away from my toddler and the weight of yet another infection when I have tried everything in my power to stay safe and healthy during this cold and flu season. I try to always stay positive and find the silver linings, but Jill caught me at a particularly vulnerable moment when I was crying in my room. Instead of saying sorry and leaving, saying she would come back later, she sat down, took my hand without hesitation, and asked me how she could help. She listened to me vent my frustrations and fears, my doubts, and my anger at my current situation. She listened without making me feel rushed or judged, and I genuinely could see from the look in her eyes that she cared. I wasn’t just a patient. I was a human with a story and a reason to fight, and she took it all in. She addressed everything I said, asked thoughtful questions, brought me a sleep kit and an AYA Cancer Kit, and not only made me feel heard but also made me feel cared for during a very scary time. She even came back a few days later to check on me to see if there was anything else I needed to make my stay more comfortable. She didn’t HAVE to do any of that. But she did it from the heart, and you could tell.
I think Jill is the perfect example of what a nurse should embody. I have no doubt how hard the job is, but taking the time to really stop and listen in someone’s darkest moments can make all the difference in the world. Please send her my thanks, and join me in recognizing her servant’s heart.
Being back here time and time again unlocks a lot of medical trauma that I have yet to unpack from my transplant and a lot of uncertainty. I was having a particularly hard day on the day Jill was my nurse. I broke down, frustrated with just having been told that what I thought would be a 4-day stay was going to be 2 weeks of being away from my toddler and the weight of yet another infection when I have tried everything in my power to stay safe and healthy during this cold and flu season. I try to always stay positive and find the silver linings, but Jill caught me at a particularly vulnerable moment when I was crying in my room. Instead of saying sorry and leaving, saying she would come back later, she sat down, took my hand without hesitation, and asked me how she could help. She listened to me vent my frustrations and fears, my doubts, and my anger at my current situation. She listened without making me feel rushed or judged, and I genuinely could see from the look in her eyes that she cared. I wasn’t just a patient. I was a human with a story and a reason to fight, and she took it all in. She addressed everything I said, asked thoughtful questions, brought me a sleep kit and an AYA Cancer Kit, and not only made me feel heard but also made me feel cared for during a very scary time. She even came back a few days later to check on me to see if there was anything else I needed to make my stay more comfortable. She didn’t HAVE to do any of that. But she did it from the heart, and you could tell.
I think Jill is the perfect example of what a nurse should embody. I have no doubt how hard the job is, but taking the time to really stop and listen in someone’s darkest moments can make all the difference in the world. Please send her my thanks, and join me in recognizing her servant’s heart.