I am in a very unique position to nominate Jen for an award. I have had the privilege of being both her colleague and a family member of a person for whom she has cared. When I started as a new graduate nurse in the ICU, I was scared and constantly unsure. Jen took me under her wing and always looked out for me. She taught me to stand up for myself, to advocate for my patients, and to never be afraid to ask questions, not to mention the incredible clinical skills she helped me to develop. I’ll never forget the words she said to me on my first day of orientation. I told her that I was afraid to be on my own, and she said, “You’re never on your own. We’re always here to help you, and you can always ask questions. You’re never doing this by yourself.” Not only did that bring me comfort, but it is a philosophy that I have since used with countless nurses that I have trained.

In this way, Jen’s reach extends beyond just the nurses that she has trained herself, but trickles down to many, many others. She was my nursing role model, and, for years, was my favorite person to call for help when I needed it. I never would have expected to need her, however, in the way that I ultimately did. My husband battled colon cancer for many years before it sadly progressed to Stage IV when he was 28 years old. After complications from surgery, he ended up as a patient in SICU. Not only did Jen provide the most loving, dedicated, exceptional care to him, but she also took care of me and my family like we were her own. As a nurse whose spouse was sick, it could sometimes be hard to step back and trust that others were caring for him as well as I could myself. Jen and the rest of the SICU staff made me feel that I could let them take the reins. She is not only a smart and gifted nurse, but she is also compassionate and loving towards those in her care. She advocated for my husband as well as I ever could have, and she constantly made sure that the medical and surgical teams included me in their discussions.

Although I don’t believe my husband was ever conscious of meeting her, he would have been so grateful for the care she provided to him. More so, I know he would have adored her for the way she has cared for me. She worked diligently and did everything possible to save his life, and when he could not be saved, she was there on his final day and helped to ensure that he was without pain at his end. The most incredible part is that Jen didn’t do that for me because she was my colleague. I have seen her do it for strangers time and time again. It was going through the fear and confusion of my husband’s ICU admission, however, which revealed the ways in which she is truly exceptional. Jen has been a blessing to me professionally and personally, and I can think of no one who deserves to be honored more.