Colleen Urbon
September 2024
Colleen
Urbon
,
RN, BSN
Outpatient clinic
University of Chicago Medicine
Chicago
,
IL
United States
After another elderly patient had difficulty finding MiraLAX at her local pharmacy, Colleen ordered it from her Amazon account and had it sent to her.
I am one of the full-time faculty at the Department of Medicine. I have had extensive experience with nurses and just wanted to unequivocally and unquestionably say that Colleen Urbon is the best nurse that I have ever worked with since I set foot in this building. Colleen is the kind of nurse who changes your practice and has changed my life. Working with Colleen has truly transformed my practice and made me not want to retire. I have never felt like I was part of such an effective team – as I have felt in the last three years. Colleen allows me to enjoy the practice of medicine. The reason that I was prompted to write this letter is to highlight her. I have been lucky to work at the University of Chicago with a variety of outstanding nurses, but Colleen is truly superior. She is not only clinically sophisticated but goes the next step and has done so in a variety of situations.
I will highlight some of the specific situations in which she has truly shown her colors:
- COVID: Throughout the entire time (up to this day), Colleen has remained an available and trusted resource. She knew about how to get the tests, who was a candidate for the shots, and where there was availability. She answered endless phone calls from worried and sick patients and their families. She always knew about the pathway, the drug interactions with Paxlovid, and who and what are the current indications. She was up to date on all aspects related to Covid. She always shared her information with the other nurses and all of the faculty and staff.
- After COVID, and for the last two years, Colleen has been the local go-to person for helping with the endless barrage of patients’ requests for the GLP 1 drugs for weight loss. Trust me, this is a full-time job that we are now going to have pharmacists help with.
- I am putting Colleen’s name forward because she constantly takes the next step. She is resourceful and relentless in in-patient care, never forgetting the person beneath the patient.
- A few months ago, one of my longstanding patients came to a follow-up appointment here after finally moving back into her house after a fire destroyed the inside. Colleen brought the patient a bouquet of flowers from us to give her to take home after that visit.
- After another elderly patient had difficulty finding MiraLAX at her local pharmacy, Colleen ordered it from her Amazon account and had it sent to her.
- A few years ago, one of my elderly patients had difficulty finding River East and wound-up parking at Navy Pier- (nurse) gave them her cell phone, walked over there, met them there, drove back with them, and showed them how to park in the parking facility. I can remember numerous times that she actually went to the curb to either meet patients and their families or safely shepherd them back to their transportation.
I will highlight some of the specific situations in which she has truly shown her colors:
- COVID: Throughout the entire time (up to this day), Colleen has remained an available and trusted resource. She knew about how to get the tests, who was a candidate for the shots, and where there was availability. She answered endless phone calls from worried and sick patients and their families. She always knew about the pathway, the drug interactions with Paxlovid, and who and what are the current indications. She was up to date on all aspects related to Covid. She always shared her information with the other nurses and all of the faculty and staff.
- After COVID, and for the last two years, Colleen has been the local go-to person for helping with the endless barrage of patients’ requests for the GLP 1 drugs for weight loss. Trust me, this is a full-time job that we are now going to have pharmacists help with.
- I am putting Colleen’s name forward because she constantly takes the next step. She is resourceful and relentless in in-patient care, never forgetting the person beneath the patient.
- A few months ago, one of my longstanding patients came to a follow-up appointment here after finally moving back into her house after a fire destroyed the inside. Colleen brought the patient a bouquet of flowers from us to give her to take home after that visit.
- After another elderly patient had difficulty finding MiraLAX at her local pharmacy, Colleen ordered it from her Amazon account and had it sent to her.
- A few years ago, one of my elderly patients had difficulty finding River East and wound-up parking at Navy Pier- (nurse) gave them her cell phone, walked over there, met them there, drove back with them, and showed them how to park in the parking facility. I can remember numerous times that she actually went to the curb to either meet patients and their families or safely shepherd them back to their transportation.