We’ve been to five hospitals in the last two months- and we’ve encountered a bunch of Nurses who should get this award,” wrote a Veteran family member under Nurse Bickman’s care. “I am nominating Tabitha because she is a very patient person. My dad has ALS and has a lot going on with him - and she has gone out of her way to show my family step by step what she is doing so we can care for him at home. For two days she had a student follow her (no surprise there) and she was very patiently showing her student how to take care of my dad. A patient with ALS is not seen as much and we’ve run into people who didn’t understand anything about it. We come here because they specialize in it- which means I have learned more from watching her, and shadowing her about how I should be caring for Dad at home. What really made me nominate her is that she is taking the time to “listen” to my dad. My dad is non-verbal and talks by pointing his pointer at a paper w the alphabet. She asks him before she does anything. She asks when she is done if he needs anything. But she also just talks to him like a person who can talk back. Dad is paralyzed, except one arm but his brain is all there and she has been very good about making sure his voice is heard. Also, he’s kind of a high maintenance guy and his pillows are never comfortable, but she has been the “pillow whisperer “ - and he has been very comfortable with her taking care of him. She notices little details and advocates for her patients and she has been great with my family. Thank you, Tabitha!