How long have you been working with our pediatric division?
I’ve been with Washington University for five years now. For the first four years, I worked exclusively at the Children’s Specialty Care Center, but that changed when the pandemic interrupted our normal workflow. I now rotate through all three of our locations – St. Louis Children’s Hospital, Children’s Specialty Care Clinic, and Richardson Road. I serve as Dr. Leonard’s clinical coordinator.
How would you describe your duties?
I view my duties as being there to help patients in any way I can. I run my doctor’s clinics, take phone calls, schedule surgeries. I also try to keep everything organized and working efficiently, so keeping an accurate inventory and stocking supplies is a must. Doctor visits can be stressful for parents. When things run smoothly, our patients tend to relax and gain confidence in us as caregivers.
Why are the pediatric clinics special places to you?
The Children’s Hospital clinics are special places to me because everyone is family. My coworkers are the people who I relate with and see every day. We laugh and we joke, but we get the work done. We are definitely a TEAM. I enjoy coming to work because of them. And of course, I love all the little ones too.
Who is Jess Nute outside of the clinic? Do you have any interests or hobbies you enjoy?
I am a wife and mother. I have two beautiful children: a daughter Ava, who is 11, and a son Jack, who is just two years old. My family is my whole world. Outside of work I am a very busy person. We have a great group of friends that we hang out with. In the summertime we do a lot of boating on the Mississippi river. We own a ski boat that we store at Port Charles Marina on the Mississippi River. We also do a lot of boating on the local lakes.
My husband Travis and I do like to travel outside of the country too. We have been to Mexico, Dominican Republic, and to Cozumel several times. We like to explore and see new things. My husband and I are also open water certified divers. Diving in the ocean is an experience that I think everyone should try as least once. It’s a very beautiful experience. I have been a certified diver now for almost four years.
We also share a love for drag racing and racing cars in general. He built his race car from the ground up and will race it on some weekends at Gateway Race Track in Illinois. We also travel for him to race. That’s always an adventure. I enjoy supporting him and watching him race. I love being down on the track in the middle of all the action.
I am a very crafty person. Painting is my most favorite artistic pastime. I am a very handy person around the house as well. I have helped my husband with all kinds of projects. I can help roof a house, mud drywall, use power tools, pour concrete, install HVAC equipment, and grout tile just to name a few. I am also an expert at holding a flash light, and I am really good with cleaning up all the mess.