Alison Thomsen
August 2021
Alison
Thomsen
,
RN, CPON
Cancer Care
Seattle Children's
Seattle
,
WA
United States
Alison has a wonderful way of bringing humor, kindness, and relatability to her teaching, and I value her so much as a leader/educator.
Alison is an extraordinary person. She has a warmth about her that makes her so approachable and has always gone above and beyond to make any person feel included. She’s also so wise and knowledgeable!
***
I started at Seattle Children's right before COVID, and most of my career here has been during COVID. When I started, I was completely blown away by the teaching and learning opportunities Alison gave me as a new nurse. She is a wealth of knowledge and an incredible educator. I cannot imagine starting on the CAN without her this past year. She is supportive, bright, kind, encouraging, and everything in between. She has adjusted her teaching methods due to COVID, and she still manages to keep us engaged and passionate about what we are learning. She is one-of-a-kind!
***
Alison is outstanding at education. I have learned so much from her. I remember when I first started on CAN, she was running my orientation and I was just blown away at what a wealth of knowledge she was. She made me want to know more about childhood cancers and educate myself further. She has a wonderful way of bringing humor, kindness, and relatability to her teaching, and I value her so much as a leader/educator.
***
Alison has been an educator on the Cancer Care unit for 20+ years. She has dedicated those years to the education of her peers with great depth of insight and understanding. She makes sure that all nurses are kept up to date on certifications and reminds us, so we don't fall behind. She has proactively made CE credits a part of working here, so we don't have to constantly seek out other opportunities. She carried the work of this department on her own long after there was a need for 2 educators. She tirelessly answers all of my practice questions with a bright and cheery attitude; never annoyed, just ready to help. If she doesn't know the answer, she will escalate to the nth degree to find you what you need. She is a wealth of oncology knowledge and keeps up to date with all current practice. She has been integral in training our cancer program nurses and shaping our practice. We tend to roll out changes in a very rough fashion and Alison is always there advocating initially and then picking up the pieces and being very present when things don't go smoothly. She has really been a rock on our unit. In addition to her daily work, she is a constant cheerleader for older and newer nurses and builds up the morale of the unit. She is loved by all!
***
Alison was the first educator that we had at Seattle Children's. She was integral in laying the foundation for the role and advocating for the NPD specialty. Through her work, Alison has demonstrated what it means to be an educator and has been an example for the team of educators that has come after her. Above all, Alison's passion for helping people is what defines her and has made her a successful leader. She never leaves a question unanswered. She believes in making nursing better every day, and always finds a way to support the staff through an ever-changing healthcare environment. At any moment, Alison will willingly whip together tips and tricks, training, or resources when a nurse asks. She believes if nurses have what they need to do their job easily, we can provide the best care possible to our patients and families. Her clinical knowledge of the Cancer population is endless, and she so effortlessly shares that knowledge with anyone that will listen.
Not only does she share her passion as an educator with nurses at SCH, she also influences new nurses by teaching about cancer at the local schools of nursing. Our NPD department would not be what it is today without Alison's leadership and innovation as an educator. While she will never take or accept credit for this, I hope she can recognize the lasting impact her career has had on our department and the many nurses she has influenced over her years in this role. While she is leaving the educator role, I have no doubt that Alison's legacy in nursing education will live on. And even better, she is going back to a role where she is able to support patients and families when they need it most. Thank you, Alison, for your leadership and for just being you.
***
Alison has been the educator on the Cancer Care Unit for a long time, and has had an instrumental role in supporting, teaching, and inspiring new nurses on the unit. Her passion for learning, our patient population, and commitment to those she works with are pretty amazing. She has so much positivity and kindness, and actively works to improve the lives of everyone around her. She has inspired me, and so many others, to continually strive to be our best.
***
Alison has been the educator on CAN since I started on the unit 5 years ago. From the get-go, her energy, fun-loving personality, and best/memorable stories made me feel so comfortable and like this unit was a family. She has given her heart and soul to all of us nurse. She always goes above and beyond to ensure nursing has the information we need in order to care for the patients and families to the best of our abilities. Alison has forever left an imprint on my nursing career and nursing care of patients, and she will be sorely missed on the CAN unit as she transitions to her new role.
***
Alison is one of our amazing educators in the cancer care unit. Her energy, experience, and ability to teach are phenomenal. She presents herself with a great attitude and always seems to have a smile on her face. She can light up any room.
***
I started at Seattle Children's right before COVID, and most of my career here has been during COVID. When I started, I was completely blown away by the teaching and learning opportunities Alison gave me as a new nurse. She is a wealth of knowledge and an incredible educator. I cannot imagine starting on the CAN without her this past year. She is supportive, bright, kind, encouraging, and everything in between. She has adjusted her teaching methods due to COVID, and she still manages to keep us engaged and passionate about what we are learning. She is one-of-a-kind!
***
Alison is outstanding at education. I have learned so much from her. I remember when I first started on CAN, she was running my orientation and I was just blown away at what a wealth of knowledge she was. She made me want to know more about childhood cancers and educate myself further. She has a wonderful way of bringing humor, kindness, and relatability to her teaching, and I value her so much as a leader/educator.
***
Alison has been an educator on the Cancer Care unit for 20+ years. She has dedicated those years to the education of her peers with great depth of insight and understanding. She makes sure that all nurses are kept up to date on certifications and reminds us, so we don't fall behind. She has proactively made CE credits a part of working here, so we don't have to constantly seek out other opportunities. She carried the work of this department on her own long after there was a need for 2 educators. She tirelessly answers all of my practice questions with a bright and cheery attitude; never annoyed, just ready to help. If she doesn't know the answer, she will escalate to the nth degree to find you what you need. She is a wealth of oncology knowledge and keeps up to date with all current practice. She has been integral in training our cancer program nurses and shaping our practice. We tend to roll out changes in a very rough fashion and Alison is always there advocating initially and then picking up the pieces and being very present when things don't go smoothly. She has really been a rock on our unit. In addition to her daily work, she is a constant cheerleader for older and newer nurses and builds up the morale of the unit. She is loved by all!
***
Alison was the first educator that we had at Seattle Children's. She was integral in laying the foundation for the role and advocating for the NPD specialty. Through her work, Alison has demonstrated what it means to be an educator and has been an example for the team of educators that has come after her. Above all, Alison's passion for helping people is what defines her and has made her a successful leader. She never leaves a question unanswered. She believes in making nursing better every day, and always finds a way to support the staff through an ever-changing healthcare environment. At any moment, Alison will willingly whip together tips and tricks, training, or resources when a nurse asks. She believes if nurses have what they need to do their job easily, we can provide the best care possible to our patients and families. Her clinical knowledge of the Cancer population is endless, and she so effortlessly shares that knowledge with anyone that will listen.
Not only does she share her passion as an educator with nurses at SCH, she also influences new nurses by teaching about cancer at the local schools of nursing. Our NPD department would not be what it is today without Alison's leadership and innovation as an educator. While she will never take or accept credit for this, I hope she can recognize the lasting impact her career has had on our department and the many nurses she has influenced over her years in this role. While she is leaving the educator role, I have no doubt that Alison's legacy in nursing education will live on. And even better, she is going back to a role where she is able to support patients and families when they need it most. Thank you, Alison, for your leadership and for just being you.
***
Alison has been the educator on the Cancer Care Unit for a long time, and has had an instrumental role in supporting, teaching, and inspiring new nurses on the unit. Her passion for learning, our patient population, and commitment to those she works with are pretty amazing. She has so much positivity and kindness, and actively works to improve the lives of everyone around her. She has inspired me, and so many others, to continually strive to be our best.
***
Alison has been the educator on CAN since I started on the unit 5 years ago. From the get-go, her energy, fun-loving personality, and best/memorable stories made me feel so comfortable and like this unit was a family. She has given her heart and soul to all of us nurse. She always goes above and beyond to ensure nursing has the information we need in order to care for the patients and families to the best of our abilities. Alison has forever left an imprint on my nursing career and nursing care of patients, and she will be sorely missed on the CAN unit as she transitions to her new role.
***
Alison is one of our amazing educators in the cancer care unit. Her energy, experience, and ability to teach are phenomenal. She presents herself with a great attitude and always seems to have a smile on her face. She can light up any room.