For 15 years, Jessica Jackson was a high-volume bartender in Nashville’s downtown district. She liked the pace, having control over her environment and being treated with respect. Then one day, her mother said something that changed everything.
“She told me I needed to get another job because no one was going to marry a bartender,” said Jackson, who considers her mother her best friend. “Growing up, she told me, ‘Don’t expect anyone to be you. You be you and everyone else will fall into place.’ I took that to heart. So, when she told me it was time to find a different job, I took that to heart, too.”
Jackson had always liked science and found a highly rated certified surgical technologist (CST) training program at Nashville State Community College, where her father was an instructor in the digital lighting program. School was a big change from bartending, and she questioned her choices but kept going. When Jackson graduated, she had no connections in the medical field and had a hard time getting her foot in the door. The first job she found was in urology.
“It wasn’t just falling into a position. Urology made sense to me,” she said. “It was like a higher being said, ‘You’re going to be okay. This is what you’re meant to do.’”
Twenty years later — the last six of which have been at Vanderbilt — Jackson said urology isn’t just her area of expertise, it’s her love.
“Nobody says they love urology. Everyone loves orthopaedics,” laughed Jackson, who worked in other disciplines to become well rounded. “I’m a rare bird. This is my happy place. Anything can happen at any moment from one surgery to the next, and that’s what intrigues me about the service line. Yes, I understand everything deeply, but it’s never the same because every patient and every case is different. I don’t think urology gets enough recognition for how specific it is.”
Though she was “extremely shocked and humbled” to receive a Credo Award at the January VUMC Leadership Assembly, the 46-year-old Nashville native said what drives her most is the patient outcome.
“I treat everyone the same way every single time, as if they were my parent, sibling, relative or friend,” she said. “I know they won’t remember me or know my name, and that’s okay. I’ve been a patient and can’t name all the people who helped me; I just know I was grateful for them. If a patient had a good experience, and I’ve exceeded their expectations, I did my job. It never occurred to me that this is above and beyond.”
It did, however, occur to one nominator who wrote:
“Her superpower is to know exactly what is needed for the best patient outcome and also have physician satisfaction as a byproduct. She is always looking to make sure the patient has the right scope, camera, stent, wire, setting and position. She will generously give of her time to make sure those with less training feel ready to provide patient care.”
Now, instead of working late nights, Jackson’s day starts at 3 a.m. She drinks hot tea, watches the news and works out at home to offset a mid-afternoon crash and is out the door at 5 a.m. for a 10-hour shift that often turns into 12 hours.
“That’s ambulatory surgery,” she said. “It is what it is and ends when it ends. I just do what I do until it’s over.”
View Jessica Jackson’s video from Leadership Assembly.
If you are a VUMC employee, you can nominate a colleague for an Elevate Credo Award, Five Pillar Leader Award, or Team Award. Visit the Elevate website to fill out a nomination form. Employees demonstrate credo behaviors when: they make those they serve the highest priority; respect privacy and confidentiality; communicate effectively; conduct themselves professionally; have a sense of ownership; and are committed to their colleagues. Elevate award nominations are accepted year-round. If a nomination is received after the cut off for an award selection period, the nomination will be considered for the next period. VUMC VOICE will post stories on each of the award winners in the weeks following their announcement.
