Nurses are the backbone of our health care system. From lending an empathetic ear to administering medications to sitting with us when it feels like the world is falling down around us, they are there—making us feel human while seeming superhuman themselves. The nurses within these pages are the ones you nominated for their lasting influence, and they are truly the champions of our West Virginia centers of care. Read their stories, discover what inspires them, and be inspired yourself.

Jessica Luff

RN Davis Health System Broaddus Hospital Specialty: Emergency nursing

Many people have pop culture to thank for their first brush with the medical profession—even the best nurses around. “I used to watch ER when I was younger, and I was like, ‘I want to be them,’” Jessica Luff says with a laugh. That inspiration, paired with her natural love for taking care of people, including stints at daycares and in other caregiving roles, made nursing school an obvious choice. She wasn’t ready to make that decision when she first reached typical college age, she says, and then she became a mom who needed to focus on raising her own kids. But eventually, the time was right, and she’s now been in the field for six years.

Being the point person for people in difficult circumstances is rewarding for Luff. “We see different people every day, a lot of times in scary situations,” she says. “I love being able to help them and make them feel as comfortable as I possibly can.” And her team, according to her, is one of the reasons she’s been able to flourish so much in the profession—there’s no one like the nurses you spend every day with. “I feel like I fit in there more than I fit in anywhere,” Luff says. “We’re like a family, we’re very close. In the ER, things get really crazy sometimes —chaotic—but we all work together so well. It’s almost like we read each other’s minds. It’s just the perfect teamwork.”

Luff has a quiet resilience about her. Even when she has a tough day, she goes into the next one with a smile. “Not even COVID-19 made me want to quit,” she says. “It was rough, but it never made me want to quit.”

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