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Several team members nominated Jessica Alford, RN, Nurse Manager, Surgical Trauma ICU and 5 North, for a DAISY Nurse Leader Award:

“I cannot think of anyone more deserving of this award than our manager Jess. After accepting her position, she had a lot of work to do. Morale was down, 75% of the staff had resigned, and everyone else was burned out and considering leaving. But she faced the challenge head-on and completely transformed the atmosphere on 5 North! Staff is happy to be at work again, travelers have chosen to stay, and even former employees have returned. Everyone is comfortable approaching her with concerns — she has an open door policy and never judges anyone when they ask for help or need to have a difficult conversation.

“Jess transitioned from assistant manager to manager while I was on maternity leave. She helped me navigate my return on an adjusted schedule and was incredibly flexible with scheduling to ensure I could make it work. Right off the bat, this small act made me feel valued as an employee. I was excited to come back. Once I did, we were still short-staffed, but I already noticed changes on our unit. She has worked tirelessly to rebuild our staffing and morale. She is seeking feedback constantly on areas for improvement within the unit and puts plans into action to address concerns.

“Jess has encouraged me to take on precepting new nurses, look into obtaining my PCCN [progressive care certified nurse], and begin thinking about training for a charge nurse position. Taking these steps to develop professionally used to scare me, but with her support it has been easy.

“She loves what she does and it is apparent in the way that she manages our unit. I can truly say I will stay on 5 North in some capacity as long as she is our manager and I would try to follow her to another unit if she chose to leave. She is by far the most incredible manager I have ever had and 5 North is lucky to have her!”
-Elizabeth Bergum

“During the COVID-19 crisis, we lost many of our core staff, but due to Jess's commitment and dedication to our unit, she has reunited us and always been there to assist. In addition, as challenging as being a manager is at times, she is approachable and available when we have had concerns and questions. I know she will respond to find a solution. She shows extraordinary leadership skills and dedication to our unit and consistently strives for excellence and creates a climate of continuous improvement while encouraging us to engage in opportunities for self-improvement. She works with us in any way she can to help us continue our education and professional development. She offers praise, guidance and recognizes staff for a job well done.

“In the fast-paced environment where we work, Jess offloads the burdens on staff by constantly being present. She promotes the power of working together and the value of patient-centered care to improve outcomes. She is passionate about improving the quality of care for our patients and their families. She faces problems with optimism and a can-do attitude. It is evident she is committed to nursing and entered it for all the right reasons. She is a credit to the profession, patients, and staff.”
-Rosemarie Mullins

“I started as a new grad nurse on the unit when Jess was the assistant nurse manager. She is now the head manager, and I am truly grateful for her and all that she does for my coworkers and me. During my first year as a nurse, there were several nurses and CNAs/PCTs [certified nursing assistants/patient care technicians] who had left to either retire, travel, or explore opportunities — leaving the unit with very few staff members. As a new nurse with only a few core staff, there were days I was overwhelmed, but Jess was always there to help and make sure I had everything I needed. If there was something I was unsure of, I always felt comfortable asking for her help. There have been a few instances in which she has helped me pass medications, reposition patients, and offered support wherever needed.

“Since Jess took over as the manager, the morale of the unit has improved greatly. She prioritized learning opportunities for new grads, hired more nurses to help with staffing, and recruited a number of travelers to stay on as staff. From the beginning, Jess has always been kind, compassionate, and respectful. She recognizes we are more than nurses and have lives outside of work.

“An example of Jess's kindness and empathetic heart is when I had my first experience with a patient passing away. She saw my eyes were watery and took me back to her office. She asked me if I was OK and provided a safe space for me to vent and gave me some time to gather myself before I went back to work. I appreciated her checking on me without any judgement. Jess truly wants what is best for us, and she strives to make sure that we have everything we need to succeed — not only as individuals, but as a unit.” -Hailey Fitzgerald 

“Jess gives her staff the independence to solve issues and take on projects to the best of their ability while providing support without being overbearing. This has been instrumental in promoting critical thinking and leadership development among staff and improving staff satisfaction as they are validated in that she trusts in their abilities. She is well-respected by staff because of her willingness to jump in and help — whether it be cleaning up a patient or navigating a staff member through challenging communication. She is not above helping anyone with anything. If she doesn't have time, she always follows up when she’s able to close the loop and make sure things are taken care of.

“Due to the nature of our patient population and the traumatic events that lead to a patient ending up on our unit, emotions occasionally run high and can lead to tension among patients, families, and staff. Jess is incredibly effective at deescalating high stress situations and is very protective of staff — while reaching amicable solutions in which everyone feels heard and their emotions validated within reason.

“For example, recently we had a patient on the unit whose frustration with the visitor policy continued to build as multiple family members were not adhering to the visitor policy. Hospital security ended up being called to help manage the situation, but unfortunately their presence only agitated the patient and family. Jess happened to be on the unit as the family became confrontational toward staff and the patient started yelling at the nurse and threatening to leave AMA [against medical advice]. Jess did not hesitate to address the patient and his family — validating their concerns while also reinforcing the hospital's policy and advocating for staff and their safety. She was able to deescalate the situation effectively and came up with a solution that adhered to the hospital's policies, helped the patient and family feel heard, and supported staff in setting safe boundaries going forward. She never hesitates to take a challenge head on and has a way of navigating difficult communication with grace and professionalism." -Rachel Dalton

Nominations edited for privacy and clarity.

Know a fabulous nurse?

The Nursing Professional Governance Organization honors up to two UVA Health nurses each month with a DAISY Award. Nominations may be submitted by patients and their families, visitors, and team members. Learn more.