Jaimie Welch
2023 Nurse of the Year Awards: Home Care, Southeast

Jaimie Welch, LPN

After Logan, who is a nonverbal teenager, had a seizure while unattended in the school bathroom, his mom, Jamie, feared for her his safety. Licensed Practical Nurse, Jaimie Welch came to the rescue by providing daily support to Logan, who has autism. Logan’s mom says that Jaimie understands his medical needs and cares about his interests, which gives her peace of mind. School staff echo that sentiment explaining that Jaimie goes above and beyond for Logan, as well as others in the school community. Get to know Jaimie below. 

Nomination Letters 

Written by client’s mother, Jamie 

Nurse Jaimie started spending school days with my son, Logan, the spring of his freshman year (four years now). He started experiencing seizures, and I did not feel comfortable with him being at school without a nurse. My first impression of her was that she was very professional, compassionate, so sweet, and soft spoken which is important for Logan who also has autism. She wanted to get to know his personality and interests along with medical information. Logan is non-verbal, and Jaimie has wanted to know how to communicate best with him and advocate for him, which means so much more than I can explain. She monitors him at school for signs of seizure and keeps his rescue med with her in case of needing to administer it. She encourages Logan to drink water and also is aware of his food sensitivities.  

Over the past four years, Nurse Jaimie has continued to get to know Logan and what works best for him. As a mom of a non-verbal child, seeing my son’s reaction to her and knowing he is content means so much. I know he is glad to see her and comfortable with her. If he is acting unusual for him or she notices a concern, she is quick to see if I am aware and address the situation. 

There have been several times the school has had events after hours, but she has happily showed up to help Logan and show her support to Logan and the school. A few examples are a prom,  senior day, graduation, and recently a fundraiser on a Saturday. She has a such a huge heart and passion and shows up happily ready to help wherever she can. She still monitors Logan and also helps him be involved. She always gives Logan a birthday and Christmas present that is something he is interested in.  

She is a wonderful, caring, compassionate nurse but she does so much more than that. This year at school Logan is involved in making dog treats, aquaponics and other things, and I am told she jumps in and helps with anything. 

I was really scared of sending Logan back to school in Spring 2019 after he had a seizure unattended in the school bathroom since Logan has autism and is non-verbal. After meetings, I agreed I would try only if he had someone with him. I was still very nervous sending him in with someone I didn’t know since he doesn’t communicate well. My worries quickly subsided after meeting Jaimie and seeing Logan enjoy returning to school. He was happy to see her each day and was happy when he came out and would smile at her. She showed interest in getting to know him, his likes and dislikes and his ways of communication. 

It was quickly apparent that she was a very caring nurse and genuine person. She is so patient as well. She didn’t just act like he was a job to her. She always seems happy to be at work and the feedback I get from school staff confirms my perception of her performance. 

Without this support, I would not feel comfortable leaving Logan at school, and he would be isolated at home. She has allowed me to feel comfortable taking him to school and doing the things I need to do during the day. Over these four years, there are very few times she has not been able to work. She is very consistent and reliable. 

 

 

Written by client’s principal, Chris M. 

It is my honor and pleasure to nominate Jaimie for Best and Brightest Nurse of the Year. Jaimie is a student-specific nurse that works for BrightStar Care for one of my students at our local high school. Even though Jaimie is a contract employee, we believe she is a school family member. 

Jaimie goes above and beyond every day ensuring that not only her student is successful, but all students are successful. All we have to do is mention that we need something made or donated, and Jaimie is ready to help. Just recently we had an Art and Auto Show as our school fundraiser. Jaimie, with the help of the students in her classroom, created beautiful works of art that were auctioned off during the show. We also have a food pantry that serves over 50 schools in our district. It was our wish to be able to share the food with our community. Jaimie took it upon herself to build a “blessing box.” This will impact not only our school but the surrounding neighborhood. 

Her positive attitude and willingness to help is contagious. She always has a smile on her face and a warm heart! There is never a day that Jaimie does not support our school family! These are just some reasons Jaimie should be considered for this prestigious award.