For Jen Percich, AA, becoming a nurse is more than a career goal — it’s a return to her roots in service.
“I love people,” says Jen, 47, a senior clinical research coordinator at WashU Medicine and a student in Barnes-Jewish College Goldfarb School of Nursing’s Weekend and Evening Option (WEO) program. “I want to be a hand to hold at what could be their worst possible moment.”
Before joining WashU Medicine, Jen spent five years on the St. Louis City Fire Department’s medic unit as an EMT. “It was the most fulfilling job I have ever had,” she recalls. “I met so many people and learned so much about the world from every patient that stepped into that truck.”
Today, Jen coordinates the THRIVE study — Trajectories of Recovery after Intravenous Propofol vs. Inhaled Volatile Anesthesia — in the Department of Anesthesiology. She describes the research as “super fun” because it allows her to connect with patients again. “At the end of the study, hopefully we know which is actually better for patient recovery,” she says. “In a sense, my team is advocating for future patients.”
Her path to nursing began right next door. Working in a building adjacent to Goldfarb rekindled her passion for patient care. “Every day I would walk past Goldfarb and think, why not nursing school?” she says. “It’s the best in the Midwest, so I figured if I could get in, I was doing it.”
She enrolled in August 2023 and is counting down the days to her August 2026 graduation — “288 days from today,” she says with a laugh. The WEO program’s flexible schedule has been key to balancing school, work, and family life. “It’s perfect for people who have to work full-time or have families,” she says.
A mother of four, a police officer’s wife, and a soon-to-be grandmother of three, Jen finds time to run marathons, lift weights, and enjoy quiet evenings with her husband and their two cats. “We’re empty nesters now, so we like to hang out together,” she says.
Her favorite class so far? “Intro to Adult Health,” she says without hesitation. “Professor Torres and Airaghi were truly committed to teaching us and making sure we were absorbing the material. I walked out of that class feeling like I had a solid foundation to continue successfully.”
As for what’s next, Jen’s heart is torn between two paths: emergency and oncology nursing. Her clinical rotation on Barnes’ 12800 oncology floor changed her perspective. “I had no desire to be there because cancer runs strong in my family,” she explains. “But I fell in love with the floor. The patients were sick but had an amazing outlook on life. It felt like such an honor to help care for them.”
Her boss, Dr. Michael Avidan, MBBCh, who is battling cancer himself, deepened that connection when he shared his own story in a recent medical publication. “I read it with tears,” Jen says. “From that point on, I’ve felt drawn to oncology.”
Behind her professional drive is a personal story of resilience. Raised by her aunt and uncle after a difficult childhood, Jen says those experiences shaped her compassion and strength. “All in all, the good and bad have shaped the person — and the mother — I’ve become.”
For Jen, nursing isn’t just a profession. It’s a way to give back — and, in doing so, to feel whole again. “When I serve others,” she said, “my cup is being filled.”