 Such was the case last summer when Elizabeth Twyman, an emergency
department nurse at Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital, waited for a
couple who were called to the hospital after their son had been in
an automobile accident.
"She was the one to tell us the news of our son's passing. She
was the one who tried to help us in any way possible. She was the
one who answered those first questions we had and tried to console
us as much as possible," the couple wrote in a letter. "To make a
long story short, we would like to recognize her for the quality of
service she was able to extend to us. We know this must have been a
very difficult time for her as well, but she was both personal and
professional."
On Tuesday, ALMH named Twyman its Nurse of the Year. An employee
for 18 months, Twyman's job in the emergency department is both
fast-paced and demanding. Yet, she finds the time to display care
and compassion.
In their letter to ALMH, the local couple commended Twyman for
the work ethic she displayed on that tragic day.
"She is a kind and caring person who gave all she could to us at
our time of need," they said. "We want you to know that even in the
midst of all our problems, we realized that she was a special person
with a great burden on her shoulders."
The letter was read aloud as Twyman was named with the annual
honor, part of ALMH's celebration of National Nurses Week. Hearing
the letter and recalling that night, Twyman became teary-eyed.
She remembered a chaplain and volunteer firefighter who prayed
with the family and gave her strength.
"I knew when I looked in their faces, they knew (their son had
died). That man made me feel I could do that. He stood here with
me," Twyman said. "I am very humbled. I was surprised really."
Twyman, who lived in the area previously, has worked in emergency
medicine nearly her entire career, mostly at larger hospitals.
There, she would not have been with the family when they learned a
loved one had died.
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Still, she much prefers the smaller hospital, where contact with
patients is more intimate. When she and her husband moved back to
the area in 2007, she chose ALMH over larger hospitals.
"I enjoy the small-town hospital environment and the cohesive
staff. There was no question where I wanted to work," she said.
"Elizabeth Twyman represents the quality of nursing you can
expect to find in every area at ALMH," said LaVerne Landers,
director of nursing at ALMH. "The nursing team takes great pride as
we celebrate the recognition of one of the best of us."
Twyman's family includes her husband, three children, three
stepchildren and two grandsons. She graduated from Georgia Baptist
College of Nursing in 1982 and holds four certifications for work in
emergency medicine. Her grandfather's sister, Virginia Danner,
retired from ALMH.
"I can't imagine doing anything else," Twyman said. "It is as
much a part of who I am as it is what I do."
ALMH is a 25-bed community hospital serving the people of Logan
and eastern Mason counties.
[Text from file received
from Abraham Lincoln Memorial
Hospital]
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