A passion for safe, confident nurses

Each year, Jennifer Yaden looks forward to the release of the Leapfrog hospital safety grades. As the leader of a team of nurse educators, AdventHealth’s many “A” grades symbolize her team’s work coming to fruition.

“Certifications and recognitions like Leapfrog hold the nursing staff and my staff to a higher level,” Jennifer said. “It makes me and my entire team feel so good -- the nurses do the work and get the credit, and we set the stage for them.”

“I really love engagement with the nurses,” Jennifer added. “I always look for that ‘lightbulb moment’ if they are stuck on a process or a pathway of care. My cup is filled when the lightbulb goes off for that nurse, and I see them feel confident that they know what they are doing.”

During her 11 years at AdventHealth, Jennifer has transitioned from the bedside to nursing leadership. Today she supervises nurse educators at six hospitals in Volusia and Flagler counties, as well as a clinical onboarding team that supports additional hospitals in the Central Florida Division. Along the way, she used tuition assistance to earn her master’s degree in nurse education from Florida State University.

“When I was studying to become a nurse, I enjoyed the AdventHealth rotations much more than at other hospitals,” she recalled. “I could sense the community and family bonds the nurses had. You can tell the difference when you are working with mission-driven nurses.”

Jennifer sees the mission in every part of the organization – from the hospitals to the administration, even at the on-site daycare her son attends at AdventHealth Waterman.

“The caregivers are driven by the mission to extend the healing ministry of Christ,” she said. “Taking care of people with that in your heart guiding you makes you a better friend, caregiver and colleague.”

While Jennifer is no longer in a patient-care role, she loves supporting her nursing colleagues through education and it is why she looks forward to coming into work every day.

“We make it easy for learners, meeting nurses where they are in their education. We love our clinical staff and take care of them. And we own the education of our clinical nurses,” she said.

“I can’t imagine being a nurse anywhere else,” Jennifer added. “I’m looking forward to growing my career at AdventHealth as long as they will have me.”