From left: Jennifer Keeler Smith, B.S.N., RN, and Robin Laub
Picture credit score: Sylvie Lynn Embry
I’m certain your judges obtain a whole bunch, if not 1000’s, of nominations from individuals who know somebody who they really feel deserves recognition. However I want to inform you about a unprecedented lady who genuinely deserves monumental reward and accolades.
Jenifer Keeler Smith, B.S.N., RN, is an oncology nurse at Ascension St. John Medical Middle in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I truthfully don’t know the way this lady does what she does. Jenifer was my sister’s palliative care nurse on Dec. 13, 2022, the day she died. Jenifer went into my sister’s room recurrently not solely to observe her situation, but in addition to supply consolation to her household and mates. That was fairly wonderful.
Later within the day, I left the room for a couple of minutes and returned to seek out Jenifer rebraiding my sister’s hair. She was so mild together with her, and her kindness was simply wonderful. I advised her how a lot Susie would have appreciated that. My sister had stunning hair that hung right down to her knees, and he or she was pleased with it. Susie’s hair was braided when she entered the hospital, however over the course of every week, it had develop into raveled and at that time was a giant mess.
As her shift ended at 7 p.m., Jenifer mentioned she had paperwork to do and would cease by on her means out. She returned about 20 minutes later and sat with me for over an hour till my sister died. This actually meant a fantastic deal to me as a result of I used to be alone and didn’t know what to anticipate. Jenifer didn’t have to try this. However she did.
Sooner or later earlier within the day, I had talked about that we wished to donate my sister’s hair. After she died, I used to be going to search for a pair of scissors to chop it. Jenifer remembered what I had mentioned, received some scissors and provided to assist me. Susie already had a rubber band within the hair on the crown of her head so Jenifer took one from her personal hair and likewise positioned it in Susie’s hair so we might minimize it neatly for donation. Jenifer’s coronary heart and soul are merely unbelievable. So, so considerate.
Everyone knows that over time we will develop into desensitized to what we see and/or encounter each day. We’ve all had household, mates and kin within the hospital for one cause or one other. We additionally acknowledge good affected person care from dangerous. Sadly, we normally expertise horrible or uncaring affected person care extra typically than something exemplary.
There have been many instances over the course of the previous yr when Jenifer has completed one thing comparable for different households. Generally she’s going to share a narrative a couple of affected person with whom she actually linked and the way it hits her laborious once they die, though I do know she feels humbled and honored to be there once they do. Or about relations who hoped their liked one would maintain on for another day so Jenifer could be the attending nurse once they died. Or about when she bathes a affected person whom she believes will quickly die. Others write letters thanking her for the best way she took care of their family members and saying they’ll at all times keep in mind her for that care and the distinction she made for them. I might go on and on.
One can’t say sufficient about this unbelievable lady. Jenifer is type, gracious and compassionate within the care she offers every affected person. Whatever the the reason why sufferers are on the medical middle, she treats all of them with the identical respect and dignity. No workers member is ever required to go above and past what is predicted or hoped for, however Jenifer does each single day. It’s the epitome of what affected person care must be. Her beliefs and requirements are those who everybody in drugs ought to try to realize.
As we journey by means of life, we’ll, occasionally, meet somebody who’s in contrast to anybody we’ve got ever identified earlier than. Jenifer is a kind of uncommon folks. I think about myself blessed past measure to even have her as a buddy.
For extra information on most cancers updates, analysis and schooling, don’t overlook to subscribe to CURE®’s newsletters right here.
