Amy Row of Lincoln retired from Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital after a 42-year career in nursing.
A graduate of Lincoln Community High School, Row spent time at the hospital as a candy striper, in medical records and as an aide. Row 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. She worked with the first general surgeon at Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital, Dr. John Nolan. She was named ALMH Nurse of the year in 2012.
Looking back at her career as a nurse, Row says that she has always been drawn to surgery. As a nursing student, she remembers her first surgery observation with the other nursing students 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.
A cake and punch reception was held in the Graue Room at Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital on May 17, 2013 to celebrate Row’s commitment to the field of nursing, ALMH and her patients.
ALMH is a 25-bed critical access hospital located at 200 Stahlhut Drive in Lincoln, Illinois. For more information about the hospital visit ALMH.org