Tammy Strapps has done a fantastic job managing our unit. Tammy puts her 100% into everything she does. When we felt our morale getting thin for being displaced when we became homeless due to a pipe burst, Tammy made all her efforts to lift us up together. She made all efforts to pre-assign us in units with at least two of our staff so we don't feel lost. There are no hours for Tammy, even in the middle of the night or early in the morning, when we needed escalation she will respond without hesitation.

When the unit becomes busy, Tammy would step in even without being asked. She will go down to Central supply if we needed supplies, will cover the HUC, PCA, and RN if she sees her staff is busy with patient care. You will see her helping with cleaning and scrubbing our WOW and all equipment that needs cleaning. She works seamlessly with all her staff, treating everyone fairly and as a valuable team member. To say that, is a rare statement. It is a unique quality of a great leader. I can say further that whenever we have crazy busy days, it feels lighter because of her great leadership skills. She is accessible from the bedside to the office and completes so many different roles with grace and poise. We are very lucky to have her as our manager and she is a great asset to Harris Health System.

I've known Tammy and watched her for long years. It's more than just caring for her patients. I watched how she trained her staff each and every day as to how to care for the patient and most of all listen to what their needs are. I can go on and on but it's her philosophy in giving the patient the best care. She is one of these individuals where you can tell by the way she talks, it's from the heart.
Tammy Straps is a leader without question. As a student nurse, I have experienced a variety of interactions with many different units and nurses before my clinicals at LBJ. Ms. Straps is the kindest manager I have ever met. Her interactions with me, and with the staff on her unit are everything our textbook says a leader manager should be. She took the time out of her day (time she didn't have) to instruct me in the role of Nurse Manager and to provide information to me for my classwork. During our interactions is was obvious that she cares about her staff and their burdens during their workday. She checks in on and helps patients when she can to increase patient satisfaction. She doesn't just manage the floor, but she leads by example through her actions and attitude. I've never been so impressed with a Nurse Manager as I have been Tammy Straps.

We had a difficult and challenging case on the unit with a patient passing that affected all the nurses on the unit. We felt sad, distressed, and unsure. As a result, I found out some weeks later that Tammy had organized a debrief session for all the nurses in the unit with the CNO, the Administrative Director, an employee assistance program counselor, and her manager. We voiced our feelings about the situation to the group and discussed among each other brainstorming for future similar situations. I was super grateful for such an experience that left us feeling heard, empowered, and gave us closure. As Nurses, we do so much caring and giving. Tammy Straps took the lead and cared for us when we needed it.