Jenny Wilson’s Story

A passion for patients

It’s at the core of every nurse’s motivation. It’s what gets you up in the morning and sustains you through what often is a challenging workday.

That passion has kept Jenny Wilson, RN, OCN, going for more than 25 years as an oncology nurse, the last 12 at Seidman Cancer Center at University Hospitals Geauga Medical Center, a campus of UH Regional Hospitals. “I love my patients,” she says. “I am enriched by knowing them, they give me far more than I give them.”

Two keys to patient experience

That passion also is at the root of two tenets she has learned over her career and applies to every patient encounter.

“When I walk into a patient’s room, we are starting from square one,” she says. She explains that means no preconceived notions or expectations about the patient, which allows her to meet patients where they’re at.

Jenny’s second tenet is the need for silence. She believes the ability of a nurse to sit in silence with a patient can be integral to healing, beyond the patient’s medical needs. “Silence can be one of your most powerful tools as a nurse,” she says.

Jenny considers herself fortunate to work with an outstanding team of nurses and physicians who are dedicated to providing an empathetic, enriching experience for patients and their families facing one of life’s most challenging diseases. “You can get jaded working here,” she says. “But we try to remember the thousands of our patients who are out there now, living their lives.”

Pins – so many pins…

Jenny’s trademark “Coat of Pins” is a visible reminder of her connection with her patients. On any given day she wears at least 70 different pins on her lab coat, given to her by patients and their families. It started years ago when a patient, a Korean War veteran, told her she needed an American flag pin for her lapel. He gave her not only the flag but also his U.S. Marine Corps pin and his service pin from Korea.

Naturally, other patients, seeing the Marines pin, soon gifted her with pins from the other branches of service. Since then, Jenny’s collection has grown to include travel pins, multiple angels, a special dragonfly pin, all the colored cancer ribbons and more. Each pin has a story, some happy, some not.

Jenny wears the pins as her personal tribute to past and current patients but also as a reminder to everyone she comes in contact with at Seidman. “Sometimes we cry but we also laugh with our patients. The cancer center is not a sad place,” she says. “We celebrate life here.”