Morris Hospital names ICU nurse August Fire Starter of the Month

Morris Hospital has named Registered Nurse Lynsey Jessen its August Fire Starter of the month.

The day Jessen decided to move “back home” was a blessing for Morris Hospital and its patients. That’s what prompted the compassionate, highly skilled RN to accept a position in the Morris Hospital Intensive Care Unit (ICU) where she has made a tremendous impact for patients and staff ever since.

For all that she does to exemplify what it means to be an exceptional RN, co-worker and leader, Jessen, of Ottawa, was selected as Morris Hospital’s August Fire Starter of the Month.

Jessen joined the Morris Hospital family in 2018 from Rush University Medical Center in Chicago where she worked on the cardiothoracic unit for three years. Prior to that she was a charge nurse on the surgical floor at Illinois Valley Community Hospital near her home town, Utica.

Following in both her grandmother and mother’s footsteps, a career in nursing was always Jessen’s calling. She completed her CNA certification while still in high school and worked in a nursing home before going to Illinois State for her RN degree.

“Lynsey is one of the most compassionate nurses I’ve ever met,” said Hillary Newbury, CNA at Morris Hospital, in nominating Jessen as Fire Starter of the Month. “She is patients’ biggest advocate and always treats her patients as if they were her family. She has such a big heart and is very caring. The smile on her face says it all.”

“When I’m working alongside Lynsey, she always inspires me to do my absolute best,” added Newbury.

Morris Hospital ICU Manager Laura Decker also described Jessen as an “excellent” ICU nurse who is an “absolute patient advocate.”

“Lynsey is experienced, knowledgeable, and her patients are her No. 1 priority,” Decker said. “She communicates well with patients and does everything she can for them, always making sure they get the best care possible.”

Jessen also contributes to Morris Hospital is through her leadership skills. She has long served as a nursing preceptor where she helps train new nurses, and she is currently preparing to train for the charge RN role.

For Jessen, the best part about coming to work every day is getting to care for patients in the ICU and being with her co-workers.

“I enjoy getting to know the patients in the ICU and seeing them get better,” she said. “It’s really nice when you can see their improvement and you know that they are happy with their care.”

“And my co-workers are the best,” she added. “We have a really good team.”

In early civilizations, fire starters were individuals who had the important job of keeping the flame alive. With over 1,400 employees, Morris Hospital & Healthcare Centers is the largest employer in Grundy County.