Humans of UNAC/UHCP: Jennifer Wolfe, RN
“When I was in the army at Fort Bliss, Texas, I became pregnant with my daughter and had eclampsia. As a result, she was in the NICU. I was not prepared for any of it. I was as soldier as a soldier could be. I could fire any weapon you could give me, could lead soldiers across the battlefield, but I had no idea how to take care of my daughter.
Jennifer WolfeAs I was sitting there holding her, trying to figure out how to make her breathe and eat, a nurse started talking to me. That first nurse contact with my daughter encouraged me to change my entire life.
MSN-Ed, RN, PCCN
“I left the service and came home to California to take care of my daughter. She’s fourteen now. I went to LVN school. A soldier’s heart is different from a nurse’s heart. Spending time with my patients softened my heart from go forth, close the distance, kill the enemy, to advocate for the patient, care for the patient, be there and present with the patient.
“I started with the VA, taking care of veterans like myself in 2010. Got my BSN in 2011 and my master’s in nursing education in 2017. I knew all along I wanted to work with veterans. The patient population I serve isn’t always seen as underserved, because the resources are out there, but in light of me being a veteran, I get it. I honestly believe that veterans are at great risk. There are a lot of gaps, and it takes nurses at the bedside to close those gaps. Without nurses, there is no veteran’s care. That’s our job and there is nothing else beyond that.
“But I also need the nurses who are at the front lines of care to feel supported, and that’s why I got involved with the union. People I trusted came to me with a need. Any nurse on the planet wouldn’t refuse people they honor and respect when they ask for something. We have an excellent team. They’re all strong, individual nurses in their own right.In the military it’s important to know who’s to your right and who’s to your left in the foxhole with you. Through the energy and commitment of the others on our PMRNA team, including those who came before us, I honestly felt I would know who was to my right and left as I long as I have the union.
“The next logical step in my personal progression is to assist staff, so that my true passion, veteran’s care, can be carried out in the best possible way. If we’re not empowering nurses, we have no way to stand up and protect our veterans.”