Allison Christou, BSN, RN, CEN, TCRN
Kennestone WellStar
Few people would be excited about getting a jump kit for Christmas, but Allison Christou put one at the top of her wish list after an experience on the interstate.
She and her husband Nick were headed to brunch before her shift in the emergency department at Kennestone WellStar when they came upon a car wreck on I-575. “It had just happened and there were no first responders on the scene, so we stopped,” she said. “One person was ejected from the car and was unconscious. I stayed with her and did what I could to stabilize her until the paramedics arrived, but I didn’t have my supplies with me so I was pretty limited.”
Once the first responders arrived and the patient was in their care, she assisted with triage at the scene.
In her nomination letter, WellStar Kennestone’s Executive Director Nancy Doolittle said that the patient “is alive and doing well because of the quick actions of Allison.” Further, “This is not unusual for Allison … she always goes above and beyond to improve the quality of care provided to our patients. I am proud to nominate Allison for quick thinking, selfless dedication to safe quality care.”
Christou’s husband drives nearly 60,000 miles annually for his job, and after the incident they talked about how important it is to be able to assist in such situations. She actually asked him to give her a jump kit for Christmas and he obliged.
“As an ER nurse, I’m used to a fast-paced environmental and the need for quick responses,” she says. “I’m a high-energy person and wanted to be an ER nurse from the get go, so this is just perfect for me. And now I have my jump kit, so I can be there when I’m needed to do what I can.”
