Nurse Spotlight: Jess Mladenoff

In recognition of National Nurses Month, we are taking the time to spotlight a nursing team member. In Personal Care and Skilled Nursing, nurses serve an essential function in the care of residents and contribute in key ways to their overall experience and satisfaction. We celebrate their dedication and the skilled care they provide for residents, attending to the whole person– body, mind, and spirit. Our unending gratitude to you, Jess, and the rest of the nursing team at Messiah Lifeways. 

In Jess Mladenoff’s family, women were either teachers or nurses, so when Jess’ mother asked her if she wanted to be a teacher or a nurse when she grew up, Jess made the most logical decision her young mind could.

“I can’t spell, so I’ll be a nurse,” she said, and that’s exactly what she set out to be. In 1997, she was officially pinned as a nurse and has never looked back. 

Long-term and direct care are where Jess’ heart is happiest. Her first job was in an Alzheimer’s neighborhood in a long-term care facility. Over her time at that facility, she advanced to a variety of administrative roles, including as the Director of Nursing, but ultimately she missed being hands-on with the residents and returned to a direct care role. 

After working for a short period in the cardiac unit at a hospital, she was recruited by a former co-worker to work at Messiah Lifeways, marking a welcomed return to long-term care 10 years ago. Jess is passionate about not just taking care of the diagnosis, but about working on and caring for the whole package.

“I love older adults, and being able to have relationships with them and their families,” Jess said. Being a nurse in a long-term care environment, “You have to take care of the whole person, which includes the family,” she added. 

Sometimes the family needs even more support than the resident. It’s not easy for families to watch their loved ones age and decline. Even in the midst of their own difficulty, the families of the residents at Messiah Lifeways are so supportive of the staff.

In addition, the stories residents tell about growing up and how different life was “back then” inspire her each day. They may not be able to remember what they had for breakfast, but they can still tell stories from their life. She especially loves listening to the expressions of love that spouses have for each other. The devotion of men to their wives is particularly impactful.

“You just don’t see a lot of that in our generation,” Jess reflected. One gentleman stands out in her memory. He brought his wife flowers every day—even when she no longer remembered who he was.

A Passion For Serving Others

While there is much reward, serving as a nurse in a long-term care environment is not easy, and that certainly reached a whole new level these past three years. Her voice catches when she describes the challenge that was COVID-19. 

“It still hurts me,” Jess said softly, pausing in quiet reflection, as if going to a place in her memory where I cannot go with her.

Nurses like Jess experienced the pandemic in a way from which others of us were protected. She described how the nurses and other essential staff who served on the front lines with her carried each other through. They shared the same fears—of losing another resident, of watching people die surrounded by gowns and shields and without their loved ones, of carrying the disease home to their families after a shift. When Jess was weary and on the edge of giving up, others were able to provide strength and encouragement. And she did the same for others.

Yet her passion to care for the whole person never waivered. Even at the height of the pandemic when residents who were facing the end of life without the comforting presence of their pastors, priests, or loved ones, Jess sat with them, providing the spiritual and familial presence that was missing. Though she was never comfortable praying out loud, she learned to do so because there was no one else to do it. 

“Even in the darkest time, God taught me to do something that I was never comfortable doing,” she said. 

In spite of the difficulties, Jess has no intention of giving up on her nursing career anytime soon. Her heart is with Messiah Lifeways and the residents she serves.

“If I leave here, it’s because I’m done being a nurse,” she stated. “I won’t work as a nurse anywhere else.”