Juanita Arrington is a "nurse's nurse," meaning if a nurse or their loved one were ever hospitalized, you'd want Juanita to be the nurse caring for the patient. She has been described by patients and fellow nurses in a litany of terms that add up to "exceptional." Juanita's humble, quiet, nurturing nature does not trumpet, "I am here, hear me roar." Rather, she gently fosters a loving relationship with her patients, providing kind reassurance, firm encouragement and discreet intervention with education when needed. Juanita's passion for nursing at Jefferson Methodist Hospital began over a quarter-century ago. As sure as she is a nurse, she could most aptly enter nursing education as a secondary profession.
Always the educator, Juanita caringly bonds with new nurses or those in training to guide, support and teach. She is often found assisting another nurse in the room of an elderly patient who is confused, reminding her calmly for the fourth time that her daughter will be in for a visit after her treatment, or serenely quieting a patient with her calm, soothing manner. Perhaps a nursing colleague said it best, "Juanita is constant, resilient, and enduring. She is so well-tuned that she never needs practice. She gets it and knows what to do when you need her the most.