Allison Nall, Clinical Nurse III, epitomizes service. Her diligent care of patients is rooted in a heart of concern and compassion. Anyone who works with Allison knows that, even on her busiest days, her selfless heart consistently prioritizes patients' needs. Allison will not stop working to resolve issues when they arise as she always keeps in mind the patient’s wellbeing. Patient Representative for M4, has heard the praises of patients and their family members in regards to Allison’s care. M offers, “She is always willing to take a call from a caregiver. Always takes a moment to step back and consider the bigger picture for the patient and how their experience can be improved. There have been countless times that I’ve responded to a patient who experiences an unexpected, adverse experience. The first words out of their mouth is, “It’s ok, Allison helped me so much. She’s an angel.’” She sees the importance of human connection in the healing of an individual’s well-being. Alison makes connections with patients, and even has been known to wheel a patient into the nurse's station to give them a structured way to socialize, despite the patient's limited expressive communication abilities. This type of care that goes to no end to meet a patient and his or her family members needs is a hallmark of Allison’s nursing practice.

Allison’s commitment to high-quality patient care is unmatched. She is a smart leader with a deep breath of clinical knowledge. Her experience and her education give her a strong clinical base, but perhaps most importantly, her continual openness to learning and use of wise clinical judgment allows her skills to grow clinically and be refined. As Allison often acts as charge nurse, she is the first to introduce new developments in practice and role models how to implement them. She never views these changes as burdensome, but rather, she sees these learning moments as opportunities to better serve patients. Her eagerness to give the best care is contagious. Any nurse on M4 would say they, too, want to be a better nurse simply by working with Allison. Allison is relentless in making sure the needs of every patient in her care is thoroughly met. Allison is able to control the most chaotic clinical situations with her sharp nursing judgment and ability to quickly identify what is needed to stabilize the patient and make sure he or she has access to adequate care. A nurse on M4, recalls a time when Allison’s swift nursing skills and stellar bedside manner made all the difference. “Right at the change of shift, my patient had triggered a sepsis alert, requiring many nursing interventions. As a new nurse at the time, I was overwhelmed by the situation. Yet Allison stepped in, seeing the patient in need. She quickly helped in drawing lab cultures and taking all the appropriate measures required at that time. All the while, Allison was joking with the patient and keeping him engaged so he would not feel frightened despite all that was happening. As a nurse only a few months into my career, I quickly recognized how Allison was someone to look up to, her excellent clinical care was fueled by a heart of compassion.”

Allison Nall joined M4’s team in September 2016, and she has been a true asset to our team ever since. Over the last seven years, Allison has shown her ability to collaborate with all different interdisciplinary teams throughout the hospital. Her role has changed many times throughout her career and she has excelled in each and every one of them. The role that Allison has taken over the last three years is charge nurse on M4. Not only is she in charge nurse of M4, but also of our five bed Neurological Advanced Care Unit, which provides care to critically ill neurology and neurosurgery patients. If there was ever a perfect person for this role it would be Allison Nall. Every day as charge nurse, Allison goes above and beyond the expectations of the role while always maintaining a calm demeanor. The unit could feel like utter chaos, but Allison always approaches any issue or concern with a positive attitude, ensuring that everything will be okay and that she is going to help achieve a solution. On any given day as charge nurse, Allison is faced with a multitude of acute patients, family concerns, staffing needs, and much more. As Patient Representative M once said, “I honestly don’t know how she is able to so nimbly respond to so many needs on the floor”. Never will Allison complain or look defeated even though at times she may feel this way. She supports our unit and leads us with the utmost grace. She starts her shift by introducing herself to every single patient on the unit. She explains to them she is the charge nurse for the day, asks if they need anything or have any questions, she offers to bring them water or to the bathroom. She ensures every day that all the nurses on the unit feel well-supported and safe. She ensures that nurses' assignments are well distributed, making sure that no one nurse drowns out a difficult assignment. She discusses high acuity patients with APPs and asks what more can be done or how she can help aid the primary nurse. She ensures during her shift that each nurse, PCT and UA take a break, even if it means she takes a shorter lunch herself or covers the front desk. She takes on the role of discharge coordinator when staffing does not allow for it. Allison communicates with our patient representative about patient and family concerns, doing whatever she can to resolve issues that come up. She goes above and beyond to accommodate and advocate for patients' needs. She communicated to the bed board about changing a long-term admission patient’s room so that she had sunlight coming in through the windows in hopes to better the patient’s delirium. When equipment is broken, Allison ensures the correct staff are contacted and that the equipment is fixed by the end of her shift. As a charge nurse, Allison works closely with nursing supervisors along with other charge nurses on other units. She stays well after her shift ends to ensure the charge nurse the next day has everything he or she would need to have a great shift. Needless to say, Allison collaborates with so many different teams on a day-to-day basis. She is one of a kind, and we on M4 are lucky to have her.