Amy Row retires from ALMH

[May 21, 2013]  Amy Row of Lincoln retired from Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital this month, the very same place she began her 42-year-long career in nursing and the same place her father worked for over 30 years. In 2012, Row was named ALMH Nurse of the Year.

A graduate of Lincoln Community High School, Row spent a lot of time at the hospital as a candy striper, in medical records and as an aide. She earned her nursing degree from Decatur Memorial Hospital through the Millikin University School of Nursing. Row has worked in a variety of roles as a surgical nurse, including the open heart surgery unit at St. John's and now as a pre-surgical planning nurse. In fact, she worked with the first general surgeon at Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital, Dr. John Nolan.

Looking back on her career as a nurse, Row says that she has always been drawn to surgery. She remembers her first surgery observation as a nursing student with the others in her class.

"Five of us were all standing up against the wall in the operating room. I was standing in the middle. We were told not to touch anything or even move and just observe. As the surgeon made his first incision, I'll never forget it, the two students on my right side just slid right down the wall and passed out, and the next thing you know, the two students on my left side slid down the wall and passed out. The surgeon looked at me as the last one standing and said, 'I think you have found your place.' And he was right. Surgery has always been my niche," said Row.

During her career, Row also spent time as the school nurse at Lincoln Community High School from 1985 to 1995 and enjoyed her time there as well.

"I really did enjoy working with the kids, too," said Row.

Her husband, Danny, is a sales associate at Lincoln Chrysler Dodge & Jeep in Lincoln. They enjoy travel and look forward to several trips already planned for this summer and fall.

There was a cake and punch reception in the Graue Room at Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital on Friday to celebrate Row's commitment to the field of nursing, ALMH and her patients.

ALMH is a 25-bed critical-access hospital at 200 Stahlhut Drive in Lincoln, Illinois. For more information about the hospital, visit www.almh.org.