Father’s love of nursing inspires daughter to walk a similar path

Matt Jenson is a nurse clinician who sees increased autonomy and new educational opportunities as a boon for future nurses. In his nursing career, Matt has moved from cardiac intensive care to long-term care of cardiac device patients at the Cardiac Implantable Electronic Device (CIED) Clinic.

“When I worked in the CICU, I focused on the immediate needs of the client,” Matt says. “Here in the CIED clinic, I perform routine checks of pacemakers and defibrillators in the outpatient clinic or by remote home monitoring. I also get to be in the operating room for device implants and replacements, and I gather information for a variety of research being done in our clinic.”

Matt’s daughter Janelle nominated him. She wrote: “Matt is a wonderful and dedicated nurse and father. In fact, he's my dad! All the stories and life lessons he has shared with me mostly stem from his career as a nurse. He loves the community and I can tell that he cares a great deal for his co-workers and patients.

“He has revealed the ups and downs of nursing and has admitted that it is such a rewarding job. His love of nursing even inspired me to choose my career, as I am currently in the University of Calgary's Nursing program.”

What’s an unforgettable experience from your time at UCalgary Nursing?

“In my third year, I got to be a research assistant for a dementia study. I drove around to the various long-term care facilities in Calgary to gather data for the study. I think that the student experience was good in that it helped me see that nurses can be instrumental in research.

“In my current position, I was recently the lead RN in Calgary for a three-year study looking at antibiotic use in repeat or complex device implant patients.”

Your advice for aspiring nurses?

“Always ask why. Ask your coworkers/educator/supervisor why things are done the way they are done. Knowing the ‘why’ helps you remember why it's important. If the rationale doesn't make sense to you, or [the answer] is ‘that's always how we do it,’ then it's time to re-evaluate the action. Is it still relevant? How can it be improved?”

All through 2019, we'll be highlighting 50 Faces of Nursing and profiling outstanding nursing members in celebration of our 50th anniversary. If you know someone noteworthy (faculty, staff, alum, students, partners, etc.) who you would like us to feature, tell us more with this short online form. For more, visit nursing.ucalgary.ca/50