Crystal Takoudjou
March 2025
Crystal
Takoudjou
,
RN
Oncology Unit
Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center
Annapolis
,
MD
United States
There is not one patient that Crystal has been in charge of taking care of that has not been touched by her loving, caring, and nurturing nature.
Crystal is a New Graduate nurse who was a Patient Care Tech on our unit. From her transition from tech to nurse, Crystal has transitioned seamlessly, blossoming into a phenomenal nurse. She models empathy and demonstrates caring attitudes in all situations. One thing I admire about her is her nurturing attitude; nursing is her calling.
While working under Crystal, we have had many critical patients with high acuity groups. During these shifts, Crystal pays attention to the minor details, making sure all of her patients are properly taken care of in every possible aspect. She demonstrates advocacy for her patients by keeping them in the loop and aware of all possibilities and outcomes, and speaking for her patients when they are unable to speak for themselves. One particular case that shows she always advocates for her patients is we had a patient alert and oriented, able to make decisions for himself; however, he had a laryngectomy, which made it hard for him to communicate other than writing or nodding his head. Crystal was able to hold a conversation with this patient to understand what his wishes were, allowing her to speak for and with him to the providers so his wishes were not overlooked. She went the extra mile, taking the extra 5 minutes to get to know this patient.
If you were to step into our unit and shadow Crystal, not knowing her background, you would never come to the conclusion that she is a new grad nurse with less than a year of experience on the floor. Her nursing skills and bedside manner are impeccable to say the least. Her goal as a nurse is to comfort, care for, and advocate for her patients holistically, and she does not fail to do anything less than that. She takes the time to explain everything in great detail to her patients, as well as comfort them throughout all steps and aspects.
There was a time a patient did not understand his course of care. I vividly remember Crystal staying in that room, comforting that patient, stating, "You and I are on the same team, I am here for YOU." This provided a bridge for trust and emotional support between her and the patient. And I assure you, that is not the only time she has communicated something along those lines to her patients so they can know that they are in good hands, as well as well cared for. There is not one patient that Crystal has been in charge of taking care of that has not been touched by her loving, caring, and nurturing nature.
Coworkers all speak so highly of her as well as the care she gives. She has special relationships with everyone who walks into this unit, patient, friend, coworker, family members, and other outside staff. It is an honor and an inspiration to work under Crystal. As an aspiring nurse who is going back to school for her BSN, there is no one else I would choose to work under or learn from on this unit. She makes a huge impact on this unit. I loved watching her grow from tech to nurse, and she truly is an inspiration to others who want to commit to nursing. It is an honor to be able to work beside such an impactful nurse.
While working under Crystal, we have had many critical patients with high acuity groups. During these shifts, Crystal pays attention to the minor details, making sure all of her patients are properly taken care of in every possible aspect. She demonstrates advocacy for her patients by keeping them in the loop and aware of all possibilities and outcomes, and speaking for her patients when they are unable to speak for themselves. One particular case that shows she always advocates for her patients is we had a patient alert and oriented, able to make decisions for himself; however, he had a laryngectomy, which made it hard for him to communicate other than writing or nodding his head. Crystal was able to hold a conversation with this patient to understand what his wishes were, allowing her to speak for and with him to the providers so his wishes were not overlooked. She went the extra mile, taking the extra 5 minutes to get to know this patient.
If you were to step into our unit and shadow Crystal, not knowing her background, you would never come to the conclusion that she is a new grad nurse with less than a year of experience on the floor. Her nursing skills and bedside manner are impeccable to say the least. Her goal as a nurse is to comfort, care for, and advocate for her patients holistically, and she does not fail to do anything less than that. She takes the time to explain everything in great detail to her patients, as well as comfort them throughout all steps and aspects.
There was a time a patient did not understand his course of care. I vividly remember Crystal staying in that room, comforting that patient, stating, "You and I are on the same team, I am here for YOU." This provided a bridge for trust and emotional support between her and the patient. And I assure you, that is not the only time she has communicated something along those lines to her patients so they can know that they are in good hands, as well as well cared for. There is not one patient that Crystal has been in charge of taking care of that has not been touched by her loving, caring, and nurturing nature.
Coworkers all speak so highly of her as well as the care she gives. She has special relationships with everyone who walks into this unit, patient, friend, coworker, family members, and other outside staff. It is an honor and an inspiration to work under Crystal. As an aspiring nurse who is going back to school for her BSN, there is no one else I would choose to work under or learn from on this unit. She makes a huge impact on this unit. I loved watching her grow from tech to nurse, and she truly is an inspiration to others who want to commit to nursing. It is an honor to be able to work beside such an impactful nurse.