Jenny Shelton, RN
Jenny Shelton, RN, works in Women’s Center at Vanderbilt-Tullahoma Harton Hospital. She is one of the latest Vanderbilt Health DAISY Award winners.
From the nomination
“My story with Jenny goes back to my first time in labor when she helped deliver my baby girl in 2022. She was amazing and every time I told my daughter’s birth story, Jenny and her caring heart were at the center of it. Fast forward almost three years; I was 39 weeks pregnant and my baby boy was breech. The pregnancy had gone great and I did not expect any complications at this point. I decided with my doctor to do a transversion to try to flip him then induce me. We got to the OR and before the procedure even started my son’s heart rate dropped to 83. An emergency C-section was performed and again I found Jenny at my side walking me through and helping me with everything. Unfortunately, my son’s heart rate continued to drop, and they were unable to get him to recover. He passed 30 minutes after birth. My husband and I were devastated.
This is when the nurses became our saviors. Every nurse was so caring toward us but one nurse went far beyond what she should and that was Jenny. She called funeral homes for us, made arrangements for his burial and called the medical examiner to arrange for the autopsy and made sure it was paid for. She made sure we had all the mementos we wanted. Because of her and her efforts I had very little to worry about besides taking care of myself and mourning my son.
I think back to that day and how many things I did not have to do because she stepped up. Jenny filled a role I did not know I even needed until I looked back at all I did not have to do. I can never repay her for what she did and the way she took care of us. She made sure we had handprints, footprints, photos, and so many little things that all the nurses made for us with his name on it. Jenny left the hospital, took care of her family and came back to check on me and make sure a relative was with me all night. My mom stayed that night, but I truly believe Jenny would have sat with me all night if my mom was not there, that is just the type of nurse she is. She will always be such a major part of our story both with my daughter and son’s births. I hope she knows how much it all meant to us.”
About DAISY Awards
The DAISY Award is a recognition for extraordinary nurses who exemplify compassion toward patients and families.
Vanderbilt Health distributes the award in partnership with The DAISY Foundation, which was formed in 1999 to honor the memory of J. Patrick Barnes, a 33-year-old man who died of complications of the autoimmune disease Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP). Barnes’ family was moved by the care they received from his nurses and wanted to recognize them to preserve his memory. DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System.
Vanderbilt Health nurse committees determine the individual recipients. Previous recipients of the DAISY Award are here. The award is open to all licensed nurses, and anyone can nominate — including co-workers, patients and their families.Nominations for DAISY Awards may be made here.
