BILLINGS, Mont. — Jenny Paulson is a nurse manager at Intermountain Health, where she has walked patients through some of life's most difficult moments. But in fall 2025, Paulson suddenly found herself in an unfamiliar position: sitting on the other side of the hospital bed as a breast cancer patient.
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Her diagnosis came after months of concern and persistence.
“Everybody's different, every lump is different,” Paulson said Friday.
Despite undergoing two mammograms that showed no signs of cancer, Paulson felt something wasn't right.
“September of last year I kind of escalated those concerns and went in, had another mammogram,” she said. “It actually did not show up as cancer.”
Still searching for answers, she pushed for additional testing and ultimately underwent a biopsy. The results would change her life.
“When she called, she said, ‘Hey, do you have a minute to talk?’” Paulson said. “And right then I literally felt like the air leave my lungs.”
In an instant, the longtime caregiver became the patient.
The diagnosis was overwhelming, but Paulson said she never questioned the people caring for her.
“I would trust anyone in this hospital to take care of me,” she said. “I trust our safety protocols. I trust our nurses, our doctors.”
That trust became especially meaningful during her treatment, as nurses provided not only medical care but also emotional support during some of her most vulnerable moments.
One of those nurses was Brenda Saling.
Paulson remembers Saling approaching her with a smile and asking a simple question that left a lasting impression:
“Can I be your nurse today?”
For Saling, the moment carried personal significance. As a cancer survivor herself, she understood firsthand the fear and uncertainty Paulson was facing.
“I wanted to be her nurse that day because I have my own cancer story and personal experience with that,” Saling said.
Their shared experiences helped create a connection that extended far beyond clinical care.
“I love just taking care of patients, being kind to them, being compassionate,” Saling said. “And it's truly a gift to be able to care for them.”
Another nurse, Maddie Zeggai, met Paulson before surgery, a moment she describes as one of the most vulnerable points in a patient's journey.
“She was going through a very dark time, and that's something I wanted to be by her for,” Zeggai said. “But her being in leadership didn't really sway me either way. It was more about the person in front of me, not their title.”
As Zeggai accompanied Paulson into the operating room, a brief interaction turned into a lasting memory.
“It was nice to know that those 15 minutes really did change someone's life,” Zeggai said.
For Paulson, those moments underscore the profound impact nurses can have, often in ways they may never fully realize.
While doctors perform procedures and treatments, she said nurses are frequently the people who provide comfort, reassurance and strength during the most uncertain moments.
The experience deepened her appreciation for a profession she has dedicated her life to.
“I wholeheartedly believe that nursing is such a noble profession,” Paulson said. “I believe that this is truly God's work.”
Paulson's journey serves as a reminder that healthcare is about more than medicine. Sometimes, the most meaningful care comes from a reassuring presence, a compassionate conversation or a simple question asked at exactly the right time.
And for one Billings nurse, those moments made all the difference.
