Health care heroes: Veteran critical care, COVID-19 nurse gets surprise retirement sendoff
As nurses across the globe are being celebrated for their courage and heroism during the COVID-19 crisis, one got the surprise of her career tonight in Downers Grove when her colleagues threw her a surprise sendoff party.
Kay Talbot, 66, is no stranger to crises. As a critical care nurse at Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital, she’s used to caring for some of the sickest patients. When the COVID-19 crisis hit Illinois, she and her team were among the first to join the front lines. After more than 40 years, Kay made the bittersweet decision to follow through on her planned retirement from the career she so loved. She wants to make time for the arrival of her first grandchild and to ensure the health and safety of her husband, who is immunocompromised, and 86-year-old mother-in-law for whom she also cares.
As Kay left the hospital for the last time, colleagues gave her a surprise retirement sendoff to remember. With one last drive around the hospital, fellow nurses came to the hospital windows to wave goodbye. Coworkers lined the sidewalks with heartfelt farewell signs. Others jumped in their cars, honking horns and beaming lights.
To end her nursing career by helping to stem the spread of COVID-19 represents the lasting impression she has made on the many patients she has cared for as well as her colleagues.
“Being a nurse for 44 years has been an amazing journey. My almost 33 years at Good Samaritan Hospital, all of which have been in the Critical Care Unit, have been challenging and rewarding,” Kay says. “It is very special to be able to bring comfort, peace & even joy to patients and families during the most challenging of times. I am grateful for these years and I feel confident that my coworkers are up for the continued challenge. Now I look forward to keeping my family healthy and welcoming a sweet grandbaby into our family.”
“Kay is a nurse at heart, and our critical care team has been so fortunate to have had a nurse like Kay for the past 33 years,” says Hayley Ermer, a fellow critical care nurse at Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital. “When times are tough, Kay is always our biggest cheerleader. Never on the sidelines, always willing to jump in, and always giving the sense that things will be okay. I am so fortunate to have been her colleague. She is such an inspiration us all.”
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About the Author
Jaimie Oh, health enews contributor, is regional manager of public affairs and marketing at Advocate Health Care. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia and has nearly a decade of experience working in publishing, strategic communications and marketing. Outside of work, Jaimie trains for marathons with the goal of running 50 races before she turns 50 years old.
