08/14/2026
This month, we are proud to honor Jennifer Chandler, RNC-OB, healthcare teacher at Jensen Beach High School, as our August Heartbeat Award 2026 recipient.
Jennifer has been a nurse for 26 years, bringing her experience, knowledge, and passion for patient care from Lawnwood Medical Center into the classroom. As a CTE Healthcare teacher, she has the unique opportunity to help prepare the next generation of healthcare professionals to care for their patients.
A graduate of Indian River State College and the University of South Florida, Jennifer continues to make an impact by teaching students the skills, confidence, and compassion needed to serve others.
When asked what she loves most about being a CTE nursing teacher, Jennifer says:
“Seeing the lightbulb moments when everything clicks and my students gain confidence in their skills.”. Our Heart Beat Award values that define Jennifer:
💙 Integrity — She leads by example, holding herself and her students to high standards while emphasizing that being a healthcare professional means doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.
💙 Compassion — She creates a classroom where students feel supported, encouraged, and comfortable asking questions, while teaching them to treat every patient with dignity and kindness.
📚 Lifelong Learning — As a nurse and educator, she understands that great healthcare professionals never stop learning. She worked hard to create a laboratory space that prepares students for what they will experience in their clinicals at long-term care facilities and hospital rotations and encourages her students to join medical associations for professional growth.
🛡️ Protecting Others — She prepares her students to be confident and capable when someone needs help, teaching not only clinical skills, but the responsibility that comes with caring for another person’s life and well-being.
