A little over a year ago Jen Martin was standing on a sidewalk cheering on her sister who was running the Middletown Half Marathon. Jen couldn’t help but notice the large, beautiful building behind her. After she saw the Community Health Center sign, she told herself she would have to look it up later. A few weeks passed and Jen continued on with her normal schedule as a nurse manager at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center. One night she remembered the Community Health Center sign and decided to finally look it up.

When Jen read the mission and vision she was instantly drawn to CHC and everything it had to offer. She decided to see if they had any openings and to her surprise, they were hiring a nurse manager. Jen applied and a few days later she was called for an interview. Recalling the session, Jen said she interviewed CHC just as much as they interviewed her. She knew after each phase of the interview process that CHC would be the place for her, and it was.

In July of 2015 Jen began her role as the nurse manager at CHC in New Britain and Enfield. Managing two sites can be a little overwhelming at times but it is also a great learning experience. She believes it is important to be accessible and visible to all the nurses and medical assistants at both of locations. Jen wants her team to know that she is always ready to help with whatever they might need.  Jen loves her team, coworkers, and the environment CHC has created for its employees, and patients.

As if managing two sites didn’t keep her busy enough, Jen precepts nurses in Middletown one day a week during the spring. She is more than happy to coach young nurses because she loves helping them connect the dots from acute care to primary care and teaching them the importance of the nursing role in primary care. Another benefit of precepting nurses is that it means she is learning from them as well as teaching.

Jen feels one of the most significant parts of her job is creating a sense of team worth. She makes it her goal to demonstrate how each role is valuable and how it completes the patient process and experience. Jen enjoys moving patients through her care efficiently and effectively while delivering the highest possible quality of care. She enjoys helping her team build relationships with their patients and helping them create and maintain goals. Whether patients are managing chronic pain, asthma, or weight loss she loves that CHC follows up to make sure we are meeting patients’ needs and preferences.

Although this role is different from any other nursing job Jen has had, she loves it and enjoys coming to work each day. Jen is a clear team leader who will always be pushing her team to be the best they can be.