Charge nurse Jane Watson is taking on a new role nearly four decades after she began her Riley career.
By Maureen Gilmer, Riley Children’s Health senior writer, mgilmer1@iuhealth.org
The pediatric intensive care unit at Riley Hospital for Children can be a tough place to work.
A lot of critical injuries. A lot of difficult conversations. A lot of success, yes, but also a lot of sadness.
So, it’s important to have a ray of sunshine now and then. And that sunshine in human form is charge nurse Jane Watson, according to her PICU colleagues.
Watson, who has spent most of her nearly 40-year career as a nurse on the PICU, is beloved by families and fellow team members for her joyful spirit and her tender heart.
That’s why it’s hard for the PICU to see Watson leave the unit, even if she’s not leaving Riley entirely – at least not yet.
Thursday was her last day on the PICU. On Monday, she begins a new job with Riley’s infectious disease team, helping outpatient families with education on central lines for long-term IV antibiotics.
Why the move?
“I need less sad,” she said, even as she was surrounded Thursday by the laughter and good wishes of her team. “My heart is kind of mush right now. It’s been regenerating for a lot of years, but I think it’s done.”
Watson said it’s her co-workers and patients who have gotten her through the good and bad times.
“I’ve been blessed with a lot of good people. That’s really what gets you through it,” she said. “No one really knows what it’s like to work here; that’s a bond you have with each other.”
As she looks around the unit, where nurses are busy caring for the sickest patients in the hospital (think car accidents, fires, gunshot wounds, child abuse, disease and other traumas), she says it’s the kids and families who have inspired her.
“Look at these little kids, their sweet little spirits. God love ’em. They’re so amazing.”
That’s also how her co-workers feel about her. Around their wrists are bracelets with the letters WWJD. In this case, it stands for What Would Jane Do, said PICU nurse Kelsi Croy, Watson’s “work sister” for 10 years.
That’s because she has set the standard for nursing on the unit, Croy said, adding that the PICU plans to recognize nurses each year who exemplify Watson’s spirit.
“The Jane Watson Award will honor someone who embodies these core values: Always doing what’s right, making others feel valued and respected, and always delivering passionate care to patients and colleagues,” Croy said.
“You’re gonna make me cry,” Watson said. “I know I am leaving this unit in very good hands. I feel blessed that I’ve had a job I loved.”
Just for fun, the team has positioned a life-size cutout of Watson in the break room, so she won’t ever truly be gone. For her party, they sprinkled in references to her “Fryday” habit of splurging on a McDonald’s quarter pounder, fries (with salt on the side) and a Diet Coke to close out the work week, as well as her brush with fame as a contestant on “The Price Is Right” and her penchant for sending cards and notes to people.
For Valentine’s Day, she writes everyone on her team a personalized card that is “encouraging and uplifting,” Croy said.
Ruth Johnson has been a secretary on the unit for 47 years, so she has known Watson since she started as a nurse. The two are not just colleagues, but dear friends.
“Today is a very difficult day for me because I will truly miss her,” Johnson said. “She is an awesome person. She holds this place together.”
The two made a pact years ago that they would exit the unit together. Watson has a head start on her, but Johnson won’t be far behind. She plans to retire in June.
Kearstin Deno is just one of the many younger nurses who have blossomed under Watson’s encouraging leadership.
“I started here in 2016 (as a nurse in training), and Jane immediately took me under her wing. That’s literally the person she is. She will welcome anyone with open arms and a smile on her face and make you feel right at home,” Deno said.
“This unit is incredibly stressful and can be so depressing, but she is always there to give you a hug and give you positive feedback. It’s been amazing to work with her, and it’s a huge heartache to see her go. She is the light on this unit, so even in the sadness, she is our sunshine.”
In an interview a few years ago, Croy talked about that light and how it can emanate from different people at different times.
“When we can’t be that light, one of our teammates steps in and picks up our defeated souls,” she said.
“This is not an easy unit to stay on for that many years,” Croy said. “To do it for that long and to do it like Jane has – she doesn’t cut corners. In such a busy atmosphere, you can’t do everything perfectly, and Jane still does.”
“It takes me longer to get it done,” Watson said with a smile.
“It might take her longer, but I feel in this day and age we’re always looking at what we can do more quickly and efficiently, and Jane just does it better,” Croy said. “There are lots of departments that could use Jane’s spirit, her sparkle, her power.”
As she said her goodbyes throughout the day, Watson, mom to three, did her best to keep it together.
“My heart is here, and that’s the hardest part about leaving.”
Photos submitted and by Mike Dickbernd, IU Health visual journalist, mdickbernd@iuhealth.org