eNurse likes working with diverse group of patients

By TJ Banes, IU Health Senior Journalist, tfender1@iuhealth.org

When new nurses think about someone they look up to, Jordan Keen’s name comes to mind.

“He was my preceptor for orientation, and I’ve learned a lot from him,” said first-year nurse Kayleigh Kieninger. “He is a great teammate and always there to help others when needed.”

For Keen, it’s all part of the job.

“I like the constant stimulation of the unit, and I love the patient population,” said Keen, who began his career working as a patient care tech at IU Health Simon Cancer Center. In 2018, after obtaining his nursing degree, he began working in neurocritical care at IU Health Methodist Hospital. The unit specializes in the care of people with life-threatening injuries or diseases of the brain and spinal cord. Those patients may have experienced seizures, brain tumors, a stroke or spinal injury. They can be hospitalized because of a gunshot wound, severe accident, fall, or other unexpected life event.

“I like that we see a diverse group of patients. Even if it’s ten strokes in a row, every stroke is different. I like spending time building relationships with families and being a connection piece with the patient,” said Keen. “Because we are a Level One Trauma Center and a Comprehensive Stroke Center, we see things a lot of other hospitals don’t, so there are so many opportunities to learn.”

Keen said he was drawn to nursing in part because his sister was a Riley Kid. “I was only about four or five at the time but being with her when she was going back and forth to the hospital, I saw the nurses being hands-on,” said Keen. Later, he knew he was interested in neurology and feels like he’s found his calling.

His co-workers have described Keen as “going above and beyond” to assist patients and families.

Keen describes one of the toughest parts of his job – compassionate extubation. The medical procedure involves removing a patient’s breathing support with a goal of allowing them to die peacefully and comfortably.

“It’s something I do weekly and it’s very difficult emotionally,” said Keen. He describes the trust that he builds with family members and how they depend on his experience during one of the most vulnerable times of their life. Keen relates how one family wanted him there until the end. He wasn’t scheduled to work but he rearranged his schedule to come in and be by their side. He later went to the patient’s funeral.

“It is hard to separate those feelings. I’ve worked hard during the last five years to deal better with work-life balance,” said Keen. “You process it as it happens, I talk to my aunt who is a nurse and also to coworkers.”

He says the highlights of his career focus on seeing patients return to the unit for a visit after they have improved. He also enjoys teaching other new nurses.

On a personal level, Keen talks openly to his closest coworkers about being a recovering alcoholic and the importance of work-life balance. He met his fiancé at a bar on one of his first outings after sobriety. She was with friends who ordered a round, and he turned down the shot.

“What are the odds that the first person I’d meet at a bar would become my fiancé?” he says. They were engaged in Florida after taking in one of their shared interests – “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” at Universal Orlando. Together they enjoy spending time with family and going on walks with their dog.