The Core of What We Do: Mother-daughter duo Denise and Jasye Morrison help deliver unforgettable moments at Methodist Women’s Hospital

In “The Core of What We Do,” you’ll learn more about Methodist’s core service lines – primary care, oncology, cardiology, women’s health and orthopedics/surgical services – and the people whose dedication makes them so impactful for our communities.
 

Denise Morrison BSN, RN, RNC-OB
Registered Nurse for Labor and Delivery and High-Risk OB, Triage Nurse
Methodist Women’s Hospital campus

Jasye Morrison, BSN, RN, C-EFM
Registered Nurse, Labor and Delivery
Methodist Women’s Hospital  

Why is this service line so important to Methodist? 

Denise Morrison: As a team, we work hard each day to provide the best OB/GYN care in the area. As the area’s largest provider, we are often the beginning of a family’s health care journey. If we provide excellent care, they will want to continue to come to us with their health care needs.

Jasye Morrison: Laboring is such a vulnerable time in people’s lives. It’s a unique opportunity to make a difference for the members of our community that isn’t available in any other setting. Deliveries are something we do every day, but for most families, birthing experiences are only a couple moments in their lives. Our job is to create the best experience we can for them and ensure that they leave our facility feeling empowered, uplifted and cared for. Our staff here at Methodist Women’s Hospital is the definition of The Meaning of Care. Our primary goal is the safety of our patients and families, and how better to show The Meaning of Care to them?

What’s something surprising about Methodist Women’s Hospital?

Denise: I think the community in general has no idea that we greet over 400 babies each month. My patients are always surprised when I share this with them. The cafeteria’s Rice Krispies Treats are the best dessert around as well!

Jasye: One thing I underestimated about Labor and Delivery before I began working here was the emotional investment the bedside nurses put into their patients. The outcome of my patients and their families is so important to me it’s at the center of how I do my job. Every day is different, but one thing every patient has in common is that our entire team is rooting for their success and putting everything they have into making it happen.

Tell us about your role. 

Denise: As a seasoned RN, I have attended far too many birthday parties to count. Some are the happiest ever. Some are the saddest ever. I have held hands with so many families as they go through some of the most challenging days of their lives. I’ve celebrated with them and cried with them. For some, it’s just taking time to sit with them in silence.

My second position is doing triage for the clinic. I love that, as well. It’s a daily learning opportunity and another chance for me to help patients/families in a different way. 

Jasye: When friends and family ask what I do at work, I describe it this way: Up until the moment of delivery, the labor process and safety of the patient and their loved ones is my responsibility. And then, after the delivery is over, the time between then and their transfer to postpartum is my responsibility.

What do you enjoy most about your team?

Denise: I work with an AMAZING team both in the hospital and the clinic. I feel supported each and every shift. The physicians treat me with respect and allow me to provide input about the care of the families I’m with. As the person at the bedside, I often find out many things that others don’t even know about their needs. It truly takes a village to raise families!

Jasye: We have such a unique place in our coworkers’ lives. It’s one of the best parts of the job. The outstanding staff members I work with at Methodist Women’s Hospital have a direct influence on the way I care for my patients and even on my personal life. I’m a better human and nurse for getting to spend time with my work besties. The teamwork in our environment is indescribable. Oftentimes I don’t even have to verbalize what I need – my coworkers jump into action and save the day every time just by reading each other’s minds.

Any memorable moments that stick out? 

Denise: The memorable moments are far too many to note individually. I know this seems kind of crazy, but the ones I enjoy the most are the saddest of the memories. I have been with so many families over the years that have high-risk pregnancies or have lost children, and those are the ones I remember most. In 2022, I was given the honor of receiving The DAISY Award from a family of loss. My award sits on my desk every day with the kind letter they wrote. 

Jasye: One moment that will stay in my brain forever was during one of the most emergent deliveries I have ever been a part of. I remember standing at the bedside in the middle of controlled chaos trying to figure out my role in the situation and wishing my mom was working that day to give me guidance. All of the sudden, she appears in the doorway. It was morning shift change, and, coincidentally, she was assigned to take over on the patient I was trying to keep alive. Having someone involved in a situation like that who can read your mind by just your facial expression is a game-changer. She silently jumped in, and we finished that patient’s delivery with a healthy mom and baby without saying any words to each other. I’m confident my coworkers would have created the same outcome, but that moment truly changed the way I was able to care for the patient and her family.

Why did you come to Methodist, and why have you stayed?

Denise: I came to Methodist as a young nurse in search of the opportunity to care for people as they greet their children for the first time. After having my first daughter, I knew this was my passion. It turns out this position is so much more. I stay because I’m loyal and will always work where I feel supported and listened to.

Jasye: I finished nursing school at the very beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a really unstable time to be a new nurse. When I was looking for jobs, I hoped for some familiarity when everything else about the job was uncertain. As my mom has been a Methodist employee for decades, many of the nurses on the Labor and Delivery Unit were familiar to me, and that was comforting as I was learning how to make the specialty my own. Now that I’ve been here for a few years, I can’t imagine leaving my coworkers anytime soon.

What does The Meaning of Care mean to you?

Denise: For me, The Meaning of Care is respecting each patient as an individual and getting them the assistance they need. It may be advice, support, medicine, a listening ear – the opportunities to touch people’s lives are endless.

Jasye: The Meaning of Care is a great statement to work toward because, if we’re doing our jobs right, patients and their families see that through us. It gives me a goal to work toward in each patient interaction.

What’s the best thing about your role at Methodist?

Denise: They best thing by far for me is the endless variety and daily learning and caring opportunities. The second best thing is the honor of working with my very own daughter, whom I have loved watching as she has grown into a terrific nurse. I’m so very proud, Jasye!

Jasye: For me, the absolute best thing about Labor and Delivery is the look on the parents’ faces when they lay eyes on their new baby for the first time. No matter what I’m doing, I always make sure to be in a position to witness that moment. It’s an overwhelming joy and love that you don’t see anywhere else in the universe.

What do you enjoy outside of your time at Methodist?

Denise: My best outside-of-work time is anything I can do to spend time with my own children. I love to travel whenever possible, as well. This year I’m planning a celebratory trip to the East Coast as well as a first-ever trip to Red Rocks.

Jasye: I enjoy baking, hiking and walks outside, crafting, and snuggling my cat!