Interview: Jennifer Jamieson, MSN, RNC-OB, C-ONQs, and C-EFM

I’m excited to introduce you to my colleague and dear friend, Jennifer Jamieson. Jennifer was the first person to guide me through my role as an assistant nurse manager, and let me tell you—I quickly realized she’s sharp, passionate about her work, and hands-down one of the best listeners you’ll ever meet.

But enough about my take on Jennifer—I’ll let you get to know her for yourself. I hope you enjoy learning about her as much as I have!

1. What inspired you to pursue nursing, and how has your journey evolved since then?

I always knew I wanted to work in healthcare, but it took some time to find my place. In high school, I was involved with Health Occupations Students of America. I wanted to be a doctor and shadowed physicians in various settings. I attended my first birth with an OB/GYN at St. Vincent's. In college, I became a Certified Nursing Assistant and worked in hospitals, clinics, and long-term care settings. Upon graduation, I planned to apply for Physician's Assistant (PA) school, but a PA encouraged me to look into nursing. I applied to nursing school and became a labor and delivery nurse. I was at the bedside for 13 years before getting my MSN and becoming an Assistant Nurse Manager and Nurse Manager. I now work as a Nursing Education and Practice Specialist with Clinical Practice Support implementing evidence-based practice across the system.

2. What strategies do you use to engage experienced nurses who may be resistant to changes in best practices? Listening is important. I explore the reasons why there is resistance. Did we get the perspective of frontline staff? Has the 'why' been communicated clearly? Can I share an article supporting the change? Nurses are more interested in changes in practice when they can see the impact on their patients or improvement in their workflow. I also recognize that some people are late adopters and may need to see others engage in the practice. They may need to hear the success stories of their colleagues.

3. How do you ensure that the best practices you teach are practical and applicable for nurses working in high-pressure hospital environments? I round on units and talk with nurses about practice changes. I listen to their concerns and work towards finding a workable solution. I also engage a group of nurses to review policies and provide feedback. The unit leaders, both formal and informal, also play a significant role in monitoring practice change because I cannot be everywhere.

4. Can you share an example of how you used your Nurse Manager experience to address challenges when implementing new practices with experienced nurses? Recently, we needed to make a change in the way we documented quantitative blood loss (QBL) in the EHR. The field used 99% of the time was an estimated blood loss field that has been in place since the launch of the EHR despite a practice change nearly 10 years ago. In reports, it looked as if our system did not perform QBL. The quick fix for this is to require the QBL calculator, but we had tried to launch it once before without success. As a Manager, I learned the value of engaging the team in change. I rounded on units asking staff to review the calculator and provide feedback about its current state. I also asked about their current workflow, making sure to acknowledge the great work they already do with QBL. I also elicited their thoughts on how to create a more functional calculator. I brought back many incites to the IS team. They created a field similar to the EBL field, for nurses to enter the QBL without using the longer version of the calculator. Now that the change has been implemented, I check in with nurses about the calculator to identify any questions or concerns. We will continue to monitor reports to ensure the change has been adopted.

5. What inspired you to pursue a career in nursing, and how has that inspiration evolved throughout your journey? My interest in healthcare began with the science. I loved Chemistry and Biology in high school, and my favorite classes in college were Anatomy and Physiology.  As a CNA while in nursing school, I loved to read the charts of complex medical cases. I was interested in learning how the care teams created a plan of care and tracked progress over time. There were many moving parts, or specialties, with important roles to play. The nurse was at the center of it all. 

Over time, I also realized that I found purpose in service to others. Service to others is a key tenant of nursing. When I am considering a new job, I always think about how the role will serve others before I decide if I want to pursue it.

6. What do you enjoy most about your current role as a Nurse Educator, and how does it compare to your time as a Nurse Manager? I don't have to sleep with my phone next to me. I enjoy developing programs and working on quality at the system level. My current role also allows me to build relationships with leaders across the organization. Obstetrics crosses into many other specialty areas. As a Nurse Manager, I enjoyed working with a team I could mentor and grow. I don't have as much daily interaction in my current role.

Being a manager taught me how to recognize the great work of others. One person cannot do it all. We need to promote the behavior we want to see and encourage the informal leaders on the team to step up. The people who do the work often have the best ideas!

7. What challenges have you faced in balancing your professional responsibilities with your personal life, and how do you manage them? It can be difficult to manage multiple demands. There is always something to do, and the work waits for me when I am not there. I have learned a lot about priorities over the last few years. I lost my dad to cancer two years ago. I took some time off intermittently to spend with him in the last few months of his life. I will cherish those times forever. When my son was hospitalized, I had to walk away from my job for a month and trust that my colleagues could do the work without me. It was hard, but it felt good to be there for my son. Sometimes, I have to remind myself often to pay attention to the number of hours I work and take time off to balance the long days. I am working on taking more vacation days.

8. If you could give one piece of advice to nurses who are hesitant about embracing change, what would it be and why? Ask questions. Be a lifelong learner. Be involved. Getting involved gives those who have concerns a platform to discuss the change.

Join me next time for some “tales from the floor” – the kind that will tug at your heartstrings or have you laughing so hard you’ll need to check your pulse.

Wishing you all a joyful holiday season and plenty of rest (you’ve earned it!).

See you soon!
Sandra