For many nursing isn’t just a job, it’s a calling. They are drawn to the profession to serve their communities – sometimes even later in life.

Jennifer Brady is a nurse at LifePoint Health’s Havasu Regional Medical Center who exemplifies these qualities. She recently joined Chip on a special Making the Rounds episode of Hospitals In Focus to tell her story.

“I know what it feels like to be a patient in the hospital and to be a family member who is at a loved one’s bedside – you are scared with a million fears, and nothing but hope. So I just always try and remind myself what that felt like and try and be there for them (patients).”

Jennifer’s dedication, compassion, professionalism, and – most important to her patients – empathy recently earned her The DAISY Award For Extraordinary Nurses. Organizers say it is designed to honor the nurses who go above and beyond to serve their patients and families every day.

She says she cried tears of joy the day she got the award because it reminded her of her journey in nursing.

“I have three children and all of them were born with some kind of medical condition. Over the years, being in the hospital caring for them and staying with them, I was able to see wonderful nurses who were able to teach me how to care for my children and give me the education and encouragement that I needed. So, one day I decided that I wanted to be that for someone else and went back to nursing school.”

And with a growing shortage of hospital nurses, it’s a path she hopes others will follow.

“If you want help others, it’s definitely the perfect profession for you. Plus, we definitely need more people who care and want to make the world a better place. It’s never too late.”

You can listen to Jennifer on Hospitals In Focus by clicking here.