I was a frightened patient and Allison Tallungan is a rock-star nurse! How else could she so expertly manage a frightened, newly diagnosed breast cancer patient in her first chemo appointment? Four drugs into that first infusion, I was feeling unwell and having an uncomfortable reaction. She noticed it immediately, but she managed it without alerting me to any concerns. In a smooth step or two backward toward the door of the treatment room, she asked for support, but she did so in a manner that was so seamless that it was not until other medical team members appeared in my room that I realized there was a possible issue.

On another day in a treatment room adjoining mine, there was a far more serious situation, an actual emergency that required support from emergency medical services. There was a significant delay in the response from that support team, despite the INOVA staff calling 9-1-1 four times. Allison was heard calling to the patient to “stay with us”. It was obviously no drill, and based on the foot traffic, it was clear that there was an emergency... except in Allison's demeanor.

Once the crisis was resolved, she ever so nonchalantly stepped back into my room to hang another bag for the infusion and acted as if she had just returned from afternoon tea. She also has a memory to admire. During my most recent infusion, a friend accompanied me to my appointment, and even though they had never met, Allison remembered all sorts of connections to that friend’s name. Simultaneously, Allison welcomed my friend and proceeded with my care, making the art of multi-tasking seem effortless.

With Allison, there seems to be nothing too small or mundane for her to attend to and manage if it supports patient care. That is to say, while her professional, appropriately bounded engagement kept her focused on her work, she also just happened to notice that we needed a napkin and a paper plate for our snack. A few minutes later, we had what we needed for said snack. Allison was also good at offering reassurance and affirmation. For example, she never let on to my impairment, even when I experienced cognitive challenges. Instead of referring to my obvious "chemo brain", she would focus on my "perfectly shaped head", since I was then sporting a bald top. It helped me feel less distressed about my cognitive slow-down AND my hair loss. I doubt that many people are that efficient and funny, dispensing reassurance for two ailments in one response.

Moreover, her observational skills, memory, and medical acumen were always evident. I seemed to have every possible side effect as the weeks and months rolled by, and I was at times not just fatigued, but miserable. She always had a spot-on recommendation about how I could deal with the side effects. And lest I forget, I am convinced that she also reads minds! She anticipates need, dispenses calm, and makes patients laugh, even absent a verbal request. Without her steadfast, professional care, my chemotherapy experience would have been entirely different. Allison’s personable but professional, competent but humble, perceptive but not intrusive, superstar nursing skills should be recognized. She is an outstanding ambassador for Schar’s Infusion Center, and I can't say too many good things about her.