Jill Tedesco, Field Nurse at BrightStar Care of Stroudsburg, has been named a 2024 Frontline Honors honoree by Home Health Care News.
To become a Frontline honoree, an individual is nominated by their peers. The candidate must be:
- A dedicated, high-performing frontline worker who delivers exceptional experiences and outcomes
- A passionate worker who knows how to put their vision into for the good of their respective industry, the patients and residents they serve, and their families
- An advocate for their industry and their fellow colleagues
Home Health Care News recently caught up with Tedesco to discuss their time in the home health & home care industry.
HHCN: What drew you to this industry?
Tedesco: I was drawn to home healthcare for a couple of reasons. First, after working in the hospital for a short period of time, I quickly realized that I need more time to spend with patients. When working on a unit, the amount of patients who require nursing does not allow the nurse to provide “quality time” with each patient. I felt as though I was always rushed. Home healthcare provides me the opportunity to really get to know my clients/patients and create a bond that’s so important to not only the client, but to myself as well. Another reason I was drawn to home care is the flexibility in scheduling. I have school-aged children, so having this flexibility is so important.
HHCN: What’s your biggest lesson learned since starting to work in the industry?
Tedesco: Personal boundaries are something that I am still in the process of learning. When it comes to my schedule, I tend to put myself last. I am no good to anyone else if I’m not taking care of myself. I have made a promise to myself, and my family, to take off three days a month (Sundays) and to work no later than 4pm. Rome wasn’t built in a day, but I’m trying my best.
HHCN: What’s your favorite part about your job?
Tedesco: The friendships that I create with my clients and the flexibility in scheduling.
HHCN: What do you want the general public to better understand about your job and the industry you serve?
Tedesco: Home care is a critical component to the healing process. When a client is discharged from the hospital, there is so much fear and uncertainty about how they will get by at home when they are no longer in the hospital receiving 24/7 care from nurses and doctors. Home care helps to bridge that gap and create a safe environment at home for clients who, in some cases, are unable to care for themselves independently. A home care nurse provides wound care, organizes medications, administers medications, schedules appointments and, most importantly, we are a liaison and/or advocate between the client and their physician.
HHCN: What’s something that you wish other people in your organization — particularly leaders who don’t work on the front lines — understood better about your job?
Tedesco: My job is so much more than just the administration of medication and communicating with physicians. Most of the time with elderly clients, my visit is the only exposure they have to the outside world. Taking my time with each client is very important for their emotional well-being. I am a firm believer that the process of healing is not only physical, but emotional as well.
To view the entire Frontline Honors Class of 2024, visit https://frontlinehonors.com/.
