MADISON, Wis. – Jennifer Williams has been a nurse in the Trauma and Life Support Center at University Hospital for the past 13 years of her 18-year-and-counting nursing career, but nursing has always been part of the Madison native’s life.
Williams, who goes by Jenn, is a fourth-generation nurse in the Madison area, dating back to her great-grandmother in the early 1900s. One of her most profound childhood memories is of her mother and grandmother saving a little girl while they were on vacation by administering emergency CPR.
“That life-saving moment was truly special, and being around nurses all my life played a role in my career choice,” she said. “I took some prerequisites in college and liked them, so I kept the family tradition going.”
Then, a few years ago, the nursing family tree extended into her marriage when her husband, Andre Williams, who goes by Dre, became a nurse. Dre, who is from Pittsburgh, was a defensive lineman for the Wisconsin Badgers football team in 2002 and 2003. He was frequently injured during his college career, undergoing more than 20 surgeries during his playing days and in the years that followed. The compassionate care he received, along with his wife’s encouragement, inspired him.
“My wife is the smartest person I know,” he said. “She told me, ‘You would be great working with cancer patients because you have the right personality and empathy.’”
Jenn was right. February marked two years since Dre began working as a UW Health nurse in chemotherapy services, a job he loves.
“You have to be able to put yourself in your patient’s shoes, see how they’re seeing the world and how they’re experiencing their element or whatever it is,” he said. “I don’t think a nurse can do their job without empathy.”
Jenn believes compassion and resilience are essential to her role as a nurse at UW Health. She loves her coworkers and because of the inspiration she draws from her patients, some of whom are the sickest in the hospital.
“Seeing their perseverance and how they fight just to survive keeps me going,” Jenn said. “I think the thing I have taken most from my job is to enjoy the time with the people I love because you just don’t know what could happen tomorrow.”
Dre and Jenn, who met in college, have been together for 23 years and married for 17. They have two kids, a son, AJ, who is 14, and a daughter, Kayahna, who is 11. Jenn works the overnight shift, and Dre has the day shift, so their flexible nursing schedules allow them quality time with their kids, though their time together can be limited.
“I sometimes wait for him on the bench outside the hospital as he comes in for a shift and I am going, like our own nursing handoff,” she said. “It takes a lot of coordination and teamwork to be a nurse, a spouse and a parent.”
Dre says those handoff moments are important.
“I feel that our schedules give us time to miss each other and truly appreciate our time together, even if these moments are outside the parking ramp,” he said.
Sharing the same profession helps them each through challenging times, Jenn said.
“It’s nice to have someone there who understands the frustrations and joys of nursing,” she said.
Mutual respect is also an important part of their relationship, both personally and professionally, according to Dre.
“I’m constantly fascinated by what she does. I am glad she encouraged me to become a nurse,” he said. “It is a team sport, but nurses are the backbone of the health care system.”
Nurses Week is underway, offering an opportunity to recognize the tremendous effort nurses make every day, year-round, Jenn said.
“It feels great to make a difference in our patients’ lives,” she said. “I’m glad we both get to share that experience.”
