“I love that I am able to walk with mothers, fathers, grandparents, as they navigate their new roles,” she says. “I am very passionate about educating families and seeing them grow in confidence as parents, as a family. My passion also lies in nurturing and caring for these little babies, who can be very sick, and their families who need me to walk with them and support them in this journey.”

Since she joined Sentara in 2012, Jessica has deepened her commitment to Sentara’s mission through involvement in multiple committees and councils focused on improving patient care, both at the unit and system-wide level. She has also served on a team that helps to revise and review policies and procedures for the hospital.

Throughout what has been a challenging few years in healthcare, Jessica has continued to look for opportunities to better herself as a nurse and stay centered on what matters: making a difference in the lives of others when they are at their most vulnerable. She recently earned her certification in low-risk neonatal nursing with support from Sentara and is hopeful that a Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) may one day be available at SRMH.

Jessica and her family live in the Harrisonburg area, where she was born and raised, but she has traveled across the country to 40 of the 50 United States. Outside of Sentara she enjoys reading and cooking, and you might find her with her husband and kids, driving in the mountains with the top-down on their Jeep. She says the support of her coworkers and managers is important to maintaining her personal wellbeing.

“The nurses and staff at Sentara really are wonderful, caring and compassionate individuals and that is what makes Sentara RMH a good place to work.”