Jessica Honebein
December 2022
Jessica
Honebein
,
RN
3W Med/Surg
Fairbanks Memorial Hospital
Fairbanks
,
AK
United States

 

 

 

Jess took the time to educate and build confidence in my family members that they could indeed, take care of my grandfather and honor his wishes of being home.
I have had the pleasure of working with Jess for the last two years, she started on 3 West as a new graduate nurse. I also had the pleasure of having Jess as one of my nursing students during her clinical hours on 3 West. Over the last two years, I have watched Jess blossom from a new graduate nurse (who happened to go through nursing school during covid) to now one of the most thoughtful, caring, and compassionate nurses that I know.

Our patent population on 3 West varies. We care for people freshly out of surgery, transferred from the ICU, and often end-of-life care. One patient in particular that Jess took care of recently was an end-of-life patient who happened to be my grandfather. The care and compassion that she showed for my grandfather and my family were remarkable. She made sure that everyone was in the loop and advocated for my grandfather's wants and needs, which was to be home for his final moments. My family was hesitant to take my grandfather home, in fear they would not have the skills and knowledge to care for him during this stage of life. Jess took the time to educate and build confidence in my family members that they could indeed, take care of my grandfather and honor his wishes of being home.

My grandfather had also mentioned to her that he had not had a “real” shower in over a year due to the fact he was scared of falling in the shower at home. Jess took it upon herself to take him to the shower herself, and he got a shower by the end of her shift. Even if he was a little grumpy during the process, I know he was very appreciative of this gesture. With the help of Jess and the Hospice Team, my grandfather got to have his wishes honored and passed away peacefully at home.

Jess has always been an advocate for her patients and is always trying to anticipate their needs from the time they get admitted to the time they are discharged. Jess is a team player, who is always willing to jump in and help where help is needed, regardless of whom the patient is assigned to for the day. Jess will often come in extra on her day off to help when the unit is experiencing a need for extra staff. Jess has taken on the role of orienting nursing students with such grace and takes the extra time with them to teach thoroughly, even on those busy days. I have had many nursing students tell me how much they enjoy working with Jess. Although Jess has only been a nurse for two years, she has taught me so much and has proven to be an outstanding role model in the nursing profession.

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Jess is a very patient nurse. She listens to her patients before she talks, giving her patients confidence that she is there to care for them. Jess is always helping others on the floor and offering to work extra shifts or take on extra training to help the floor be successful. Jess is a great mentor to the student nurses. She takes her time to bring them under her wing and walk them through what she is doing for patient care, giving the student a great learning experience. Jess is compassionate and brings a smile and caring voice into the patient room every time.