Saturday, May 16, 2009
 
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Elizabeth Twyman named Nurse of the Year at ALMH

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[May 16, 2009]  Most nurses would testify that while their jobs can be very rewarding, there are occasional, if rare, days that are not.

DonutsSuch 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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