Joliet’s Jessie Fix named Morris Hospital’s November Fire Starter

Jessie Fix, a registered nurse and Joliet resident, has name named Morris Hospital’s Fire Starter of the Month for November.

Fix knew she wanted to help people from an early age, and her journey started in junior high when her school hosted an assembly featuring a family whose daughter was killed in the Columbine High School shooting. The family spoke during the assembly about the impact of first responders and shared how their daughter’s mission was to help others in need, and Fix said this assembly made a lasting impression on her, crediting it with inspiring her to pursue a career dedicated to helping others.

Fix has kept good on her mission over the last year and a half serving as a clinic RN at the Morris Hospital Orthopedics and Sports Medicine office in Morris. She’s known for her compassionate patient care, excellent work ethic and teamwork, according to a Monday news release.

Toni Childers, Morris Hospital Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Manager, said Fix has made a huge impact on patients and staff and she inspires those she works with to put patient care first.

“Jessie does an outstanding job getting patients what they need in a very timely matter,” Childers said. “This could be as simple as helping a patient out of the building after an injection, to helping a patient who needs a blood thinner preauthorized five minutes before the close of the day.

“She is very respectful, reliable and caring and comes in every day with a positive outlook, willing to assist anyone with anything required to keep the day moving along smoothly. She is the type of person who keeps the team together. And she takes pride in her work, setting the bar to the highest standards. We are lucky to have such a kind and compassionate RN on our staff.”

Fix graduated from nursing school in 2021, and she said she was looking for a chance to grow her skills as a new nurse. She started at an assisted living facility as an Assisted Director of Nursing and credits the experience with teaching her valuable skills she uses to this day.

“I learned firsthand how important it is to have strong teamwork,” Fix said. “I also learned how to build teams and be an effective leader. These skills have continued to help me as I have transitioned to other roles in my career.”

While Fix learned a lot in the role, she decided she wanted to return to a clinical setting to further develop her skills. She was working as a medical-surgical nurse at an area hospital when she saw the opening for a clinic position in Morris open up.

“I have come to learn quickly that I love working in orthopedics and working at Morris Hospital,” Fix said. “I feel that this role combines everything that I love about nursing and provides me a great learning opportunity working the triage phone line.”

Fix said the best part of her job is the people she works with every day.

“We have a fantastic team that is always supporting each other, and everyone is always willing to help where they can,” Fix said.