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"I have the utmost respect for the amazing patient care and team member support our Jessica provides."

The Nursing Professional Governance Organization (NPGO) honors up to two UVA Health University Medical Center nurses each month with a DAISY Award. Ambulatory Nursing Administrator Rachel Nauman, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, and DAISY Award Committee Vice Chair Crystal Richard, MSN, RN, CCRN, surprised Jessica Jenkins, BSN, RN, CNN, UVA Health Kidney Center (KC), with an award.

Lynne Hill, RN, Home Dialysis, Clinical Service, nominated the clinical orogram coordinator:

"I have the utmost respect for the amazing patient care and team member support our Jessica provides. She excels at team building ideas, and always remembers when it's Doctors Day, or nutrition and social work month, or ... well, you get the picture! She is always looking outward to see how she can elevate others. I have worked with her through some difficult times.

"I was not furloughed during COVID-19, and was expected to carry on responsibilities while other team members were ordered to take six weeks off. Jessica organized a team meeting and spent hours creating a schedule which only left me by myself three days out of the month, and everyone still worked on Wednesdays for Peritoneal Dialysis (PD) Clinic.

"I noticed other units struggling as some team members chose to take the full six weeks off in one lump. I am grateful for the support Jessica showed and took actions to circle the wagons to make sure our patients were well cared for — and her team was, too! She also dedicated time to the KC team as they struggled through a period of minimal leadership and adjustment to travel nurses.

"As our department dwindled down to three team members, she not only took on dedicated patients for primary nursing, she also completed Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI) and immunization (and possibly anemia management) duties for the KC, worked isolation on the floor once a week, while still keeping her Home Dialysis duties — QAPI, Transplant and Immunization spreadsheets, Kidney Talk classes, options talks, National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) member and the duties associated (I know I am forgetting things, though she also did many things we knew nothing about) — while being asked to drop everything if a nephrologist brought a patient over for education about Home Dialysis options. Oh, and did I mention she also took over the pediatric dialysis responsibilities during and after the search for a pediatric nurse practitioner?

"Jessica remains active in the development of a Transitional Skilled Unit (TSU) unit, which provides necessary education to our dialysis patients so they may learn more about their disease process and hopefully become more active in their own self-care. And one of our biggest challenges together was working at 50 percent staffing — probably closer to 30 percent, as our Jessica still had her own responsibilities as care coordinator, some stated above.

"She took on preparing half of our home PD patients for clinic appointments as well as taking phone calls, keeping up a new patient training schedule, walk-in patients, unexpected antibiotic prepping, etc. — while still getting interrupted by surprise patient education opportunities from the KC clinic. She often took a laptop home to catch up with her care coordinator duties. I know my time card reflects a lot of overtime, but please know our Jessica was with me every step of the way.

"And while she was attempting to take a week off to be home, I received three emails from her before 6:30 a.m. — so I know she snuck that laptop home again even though we tried to tell her to really take off this week!

"Jessica instinctively knows how to individualize patient care — she gets to know each of our patients well and has a real knack for determining who needs a gentle reminder versus more while patient teaching. She's quick to advise our team of her choices and reasonings why she makes her decisions so we can learn and grow with her.

"Jessica is helping to organize our Interdisciplinary Team (IDT) protocol so our 11 dialysis units may become unified with required Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) documentation — a duty much like herding cats, for sure :). I wish I was a better writer and could give her all the accolades she deserves — please know there are many unspoken kudos that need mentioning (and I'll probably think of at least five more after I send this).

"Jessica remains my hero as an excellent peer and friend. She always shows me how to keep patient care first and remain respectful to our nephrologists and fellows. As we train new nurses, I hope I can follow though as an example of the nurse she is. Thank you, Jessica for sharing your experiences with us!"

Know a Fabulous Nurse?
"DAISY" stands for "Diseases Attacking the Immune System." The DAISY Award was established by The DAISY Foundation in memory of J. Patrick Barnes, who died at the age of only 33 of an autoimmune disease. The Barnes Family was awestruck by the clinical skills, caring, and compassion of his nurses, so they created this national award to thank nurses everywhere.

At UVA Health University Medical Center — patients or their families, visitors, and team members may submit a DAISY Award nomination.