September 2013
Alicia
Umbarger
,
RN
Emergency Department
Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano
Plano
,
TX
United States

 

 

 

Alicia is one of the most selfless nurses I know. She is a great person and always showing empathy and care for her fellow man. From the minute the patient comes in the ED until they leave, they're in her care. Alicia makes everyone's day; from her patients, their family and friends, to fellow team members (both medical and support staff). She just jumps in and lends a helping hand whenever it is needed. If her duty for the shift is triage, she does the initial work-up plus whatever else the nurse who receives the patient needs such as drawing the blood work and stating the patient history.

When stationed in the back with patients, she will still come up and triage for the triage nurse who is busy with someone else. She personally buys toys, coloring books, crayons, and puzzles for our smaller patients and their siblings so they won't get too bored or to take their minds off the injury/illness while in our care.

I remember one night we were so busy, we had wall to wall patients along with family and friends. A couple of patients stated they needed to lie down. They were vomiting and had abdominal pain. There were no beds open. One patient asked if they could lie in the bed across from triage (where they do the EKGs). Alicia informed the patient and her spouse that the room had to be left open for chest pain patients. However, she called the House Supervisor and had him send two extra beds to be placed along the wall for those patients who needed to lie down. There are so many instances when Alicia goes above and beyond. I'd be here all night playing "remember when she . . ."