Jennifer has a knack for being at the right place at the right time: You can often find her in a waiting room, chatting with patients, helping them figure out how to get where they need to go, offering to walk them to their car, or jumping in to provide care in emergencies. Her rare ability to put herself in patients’ shoes comes from her own experiences: She decided to become a nurse after spending many hours in the hospital with her husband, who had sickle cell anemia, and seeing the compassion, skill and care of the nurses. 

In her role as an educator and professional development practitioner, she is generous and thoughtful with her colleagues: She took the initiative to organize a nursing staff retreat, and, along with her colleagues, often transforms continuing education into fun and inventive adventures, like a nurse-education escape room and gameshow-style educational opportunities, designed to enhance nursing knowledge. She takes her responsibility as a leader seriously, and supports nurses to speak up collectively about challenges or disagreements, so that issues can be solved constructively and with respect for everyone’s point of view. 

Jennifer is beloved by patients and colleagues; she exudes hope and gratitude and laughs often, even amid the professional challenges of oncology care and personal difficulties. She is always looking for a way to help—she will give away her own lunch, or fill in for a colleague at a moment’s notice. She is a deep listener and makes everyone around her feel seen and heard.