Alison Rodman

When colleagues ask Alison Rodman, BSN, RN, how she manages the daily complexities and challenges as a nurse-in-charge in the Cardiac Surgery ICU, her response is always the same: “I know I had a good shift and did my job if I helped each and every nurse here.”

For the past 27 years, Rodman has cared for cardiac surgery patients at the Brigham, first on the Cardiac Surgery Intermediate Care Unit and in her current role in the Cardiac Surgery ICU.

“I went into nursing because I wanted to help others,” Rodman shared. “I believe our actions as nurses can make a difference, no matter how big or small, in someone’s life. ICU nurses support patients and their families when they need it the most. I always aim to fulfill these goals either personally or by providing support to staff.”

Her colleagues say that the support and leadership that Rodman provided during the early days of the pandemic were essential.

“Her confidence, along with her up-to-date knowledge on the care of COVID-19 patients, made us feel better in the care of this new population,” wrote Michaela Corson, BSN, RN. “Ally made sure that we all connected with the family members and reassured them that their loved ones were well cared for.”

Rodman’s extensive experience and expertise in the care of cardiovascular patients enable her to support other nurses in caring for this challenging population. This was especially evident when nurses who were new to the ICU setting began on the unit recently.

“Ally helped the NIC group and the Nurse Practice Council make mentorship a priority to develop new nurses so that they would become expert clinicians and receive support beyond orientation,” shared Maria Bentain-Melanson, MSN, RN, nursing director. “Ally followed up with every single one

of them to ensure that they were receiving the support they needed. She also made sure they were getting a mixture of cardiac surgery patients and followed up with their readiness to take on the next skill, such as ventricular assist devices.”

Her leadership, expertise, clinical judgment and dedication are recognized by all members of the interprofessional care team.

“Alison has taken excellent care of all patients who have been on the Cardiac Surgery service,” wrote Sary Aranki, MD, of the Division of Cardiac Surgery. “Identifying the appropriate covering physician to call in a timely fashion is one of her many talents, saving patients’ lives on numerous occasions. If I get an urgent call from her about any of my patients, I jump and run without thinking twice.”

Rodman is committed to lifelong learning, sharing her knowledge and improving patient outcomes. She served as a member of the unit-based Nurse Practice Council for 12 years and has presented six poster abstracts to the National Teaching Institute and at the Brigham.

Rodman earned her BSN from Northeastern University.

Nominated by Michaela Corson, RN, with letters of support from Maria Bentain-Melanson, MSN, RN, nursing director, Cardiac Surgery ICU, and Sary Aranki, MD