Jennifer Pedley
I am the Director of Maternal Newborn Services which includes oversight of Labor and Delivery, Mother/Baby, and the Continuing Care Nursery. I began my career as a diploma RN, returning to school for a bachelors in nursing and a masters degree in Healthcare Administration. I hold specialty certifications in Inpatient Obstetrics from the National Certification Corporation along with being board certified Nurse Executive Advanced from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. The vast majority of my years in nursing has been in obstetrics as a bedside clinician mainly working in Labor and Delivery and in varied leadership roles.
I ended up working in Obstetrics as a young nurse by default, it was the only open position at the time. What a fortunate set of circumstances! I never cease to be humbled and remain awed to this day by the miracle of birth and the strength and resilience of women. As a bedside clinician, much of my role was to educate mothers and their partners as to what was coming next during the labor and birth process. Being prepared helped alleviate fear and anxiety and allowed the focus and energy to be directed at a positive birth. If you ask any woman who has given birth to describe her experience she is usually able to describe it vividly, including naming the staff and providers who were there supporting her. This is the same whether the birth was last month or 40-50 years ago. Birth imprints solidly on the brain and we, as caregivers, have the opportunity to make it the most positive experience possible by actively listening to what women want, helping them to identify their fears, and supporting what they envision their birth experience to be. To be a part of this life event is an honor.
As a nurse leader, there is an opportunity to impact birth and the birth experience on a more global level. First and foremost, there is a commitment to providing safe, evidenced based care. Knowing the practices we put into place make a difference in whether a family leaves together after the most joyous experience of their life or leave in grief after a devastating loss rests on our shoulders. Sometimes bad things just happen but knowing that you have done everything possible is a comfort for the family and for the caregivers.
My goals as a nurse leader is to walk away at the end of my career knowing I made a difference. Robert Kennedy said it well. “Few will have the greatness to bend history itself, but each of us can work to change a small portion of events. It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.”
Click here to learn more about Jennifer’s fellowship project.
