Jennifer Durant: ​​I Like Fixing Problems and Putting Patients at Ease

November is National Home Care Month, a time to recognize and celebrate the dedicated, nurses, therapists and social workers who provide skilled, compassionate care to patients in their homes.

At South Shore Health, our VNA team works collaboratively to care for patients with chronic illnesses, following surgery, or recovering from acute illness or injury.

From wound care and medication management, to physical and occupational therapy, Home Care workers are committed to providing patients personalized comprehensive care in the comfort of home.

Jennifer Durant, RN often delivers that care in the middle of the night.  The VNA’s overnight nurse for the past decade, Durant is a “fixer” who said she finds solving patients’ problems very rewarding.

“If something doesn’t work or needs to be fixed, I’ll come and fix it,” Durant said. “I like that I can come  and put them at ease. Patients feel safer and more comfortable in their home.”

Fixing their problems could involve assessing and treating a patient in distress with acute status changes, clearing a blocked catheter or cleaning a feeding tube, changing the dressing on a wound or helping them reorganize their medications after being discharged from the hospital. 

As the only overnight nurse, Durant covers a lot of territory – seeing patients all over the South Shore and beyond.  

Whatever the problem may be, Durant’s visit is always a big relief to patients and usually prevents a trip to the ER.

“The most important thing is to keep you out of the hospital,” she said.  “If I’m sending you to the emergency room you’re being admitted; otherwise I’m fixing your problem.”

While she has worked the overnight shift throughout her career in hospitals and nursing homes, Durant said she enjoys home care because she can work one-on-one with patients and give them her full attention during each visit.

Durant said the best thing about working at South Shore Health is her colleagues at the VNA. 

“We all collaborate and work well together,” she said.  “It’s easy to communicate and to resolve problems quickly for our patients.”

Learn more about Home Care services provided by the South Shore Visiting Nurse Association.