Allison Tucker
October 2023
Allison
Tucker
,
BSN, RN
8 South
Cape Fear Valley Health System
Fayetteville
,
NC
United States
We made him a playlist of his favorite oldie’s songs. Allison told us she saw him tapping his finger to one song. Little by little he began to improve.
This nomination is overdue. My Father was admitted to CFV Fayetteville for three long months. This was during the pandemic, and no visitation was allowed; please understand my father at this time had dementia which made this so much more difficult. My Father was not alert, he was sick, and his outcome was unknown. This was such a traumatic time that I won't ever forget. The uncertainty and newness of Covid gave us little hope that he would improve. But God!
I called 8 South every day, most days 3 times daily. As a nurse and coming from a nursing family, we know how busy nurses are. Allison talked to my Father, talked to us, and answered all of our clinical questions. I wrote down everything about my Father, his vitals, test results, alertness, and nurse names. We could not see him, touch him, or talk to him. I remember a lot of the nurse's names even now. One I will never forget, her name was Allison Tucker.
Before I got off the phone with his nurses I would say, "Please take care of him like he was your Father." Some nurses did allow us to Facetime and see him and watch him as his body tried to fight through tubes and IV lines. I have many recordings that have Allison in them, dressed from head to toe in her PPE. She never made us feel rushed and cut our time seeing our Father and talking with her about him short. I know she had 100 other tasks to do, charting or med pass catch-up. She was compassionate and I know she treated my Father like her own. What more can you ask for in a time like that? She was an extension of us while we were not allowed to be with him. She made sure he could hear our voices even when he did not respond or was not alert. She combed his hair and repositioned his body so he would look more comfortable. She kept a prayer cloth that was anointed from a local church on his body and made sure it was not removed.
We had a large family photo made and she made sure it was kept at the end of his bed so when he did become alert, he could see us. With his dementia, we also sent a photo of him so that he would know who he was, and that photo was kept on his bedside table. We made him a playlist of his favorite oldie’s songs. Allison told us she saw him tapping his finger to one song. Little by little he began to improve.
My Father is a miracle man, that is what we call him. With God’s grace and compassionate and caring nurses, doctors, and respiratory, my Father came home. Though different he came home. Earlier this year he was admitted to CFV for a short stay. I was able to go to 8 South and see where he spent so many days. I was even able to meet Allison and learn that out of all of the nurses that cared for my Father she was the last remaining nurse left on the unit. I felt like I already knew her before we were introduced.
On behalf of my family, we would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Allison. Many times, nurses go unseen or unacknowledged for going above and beyond for their patients. Allison deserves that highest nursing honor for her dedication to her patients. I know my Father was not the only patient that Allison treated as her own.
I called 8 South every day, most days 3 times daily. As a nurse and coming from a nursing family, we know how busy nurses are. Allison talked to my Father, talked to us, and answered all of our clinical questions. I wrote down everything about my Father, his vitals, test results, alertness, and nurse names. We could not see him, touch him, or talk to him. I remember a lot of the nurse's names even now. One I will never forget, her name was Allison Tucker.
Before I got off the phone with his nurses I would say, "Please take care of him like he was your Father." Some nurses did allow us to Facetime and see him and watch him as his body tried to fight through tubes and IV lines. I have many recordings that have Allison in them, dressed from head to toe in her PPE. She never made us feel rushed and cut our time seeing our Father and talking with her about him short. I know she had 100 other tasks to do, charting or med pass catch-up. She was compassionate and I know she treated my Father like her own. What more can you ask for in a time like that? She was an extension of us while we were not allowed to be with him. She made sure he could hear our voices even when he did not respond or was not alert. She combed his hair and repositioned his body so he would look more comfortable. She kept a prayer cloth that was anointed from a local church on his body and made sure it was not removed.
We had a large family photo made and she made sure it was kept at the end of his bed so when he did become alert, he could see us. With his dementia, we also sent a photo of him so that he would know who he was, and that photo was kept on his bedside table. We made him a playlist of his favorite oldie’s songs. Allison told us she saw him tapping his finger to one song. Little by little he began to improve.
My Father is a miracle man, that is what we call him. With God’s grace and compassionate and caring nurses, doctors, and respiratory, my Father came home. Though different he came home. Earlier this year he was admitted to CFV for a short stay. I was able to go to 8 South and see where he spent so many days. I was even able to meet Allison and learn that out of all of the nurses that cared for my Father she was the last remaining nurse left on the unit. I felt like I already knew her before we were introduced.
On behalf of my family, we would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Allison. Many times, nurses go unseen or unacknowledged for going above and beyond for their patients. Allison deserves that highest nursing honor for her dedication to her patients. I know my Father was not the only patient that Allison treated as her own.