Alana Dennis
April 2023
Alana
Dennis
,
RN
Emergency Department
Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center
West Burlington
,
IA
United States
Alana was an angel that night. She kept me well-informed on my husband so that I could stay with my son.
It was the middle of the night in December and my husband had attempted suicide. He was intubated and needed transferred for ICU care. At the same time in a room down the hall, my son was being evaluated for drug poisoning based on a note my husband left. Alana was an angel that night. She kept me well-informed on my husband so that I could stay with my son. She was so kind and thoughtful when she explained why she had to call the Department of Human Services. She answered every "what if" question I had with care and understanding. Alana was so gentle with my son. She spoke in a soft voice and encouraged him through the evaluation and needle pokes. But most importantly, Alana was worried about me. I wasn't even her patient, and she took the time to ask me how I was doing. She recommended I find myself a therapist and take care of myself over the next few days. And she was right. Her compassion and advice helped me through the worst weekend of my life. Alana cared for all 3 of us that night. She is an exceptional nurse that can even identify and treat emotional pain that you cannot see. Alana is a very compassionate nurse who went above and beyond for me. When I came into the ER, she made sure that I was taken care of even when having panic attacks, she was right there helping by talking to me until I calmed down. She did not treat me like a number and seemed to understand me. She took the time to make sure I understood what they were saying. She answered all my questions that I had. She is also a very funny person that helped ease my anxiety and fears of being in the hospital. Her kindness is something that I haven’t seen it a very long time in the health system, we need more nurses like this one. She deserves a 10/10!