Leading with a smile

Tammy Quattrochi, RN, OCN, takes each patient’s case to heart.

As nursing supervisor on the Oncology Care Unit at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Hurst-Euless-Bedford she often sees individuals in heartbreaking situations yet she approaches each with a smile.

Quattrochi was recently recognized as one of this year’s Great 100 Nurses. The Texas Nurses Association and the Dallas/Fort Worth Nurse Executives annually sponsor the “Great 100 Nurses,” which honors registered nurses in the D/FW area who exemplify excellence in the art and science of nursing. Nurses are nominated by their peers, and may only be named to the list once in their career.

She also was recognized in December with the oncology nurse of the year award by the Fort Worth Chapter of the Oncology Nursing Society. She used the prize money from that award to surprise patients on the 13-bed Oncology Care Unit with Christmas presents – complete with a Mrs. Claus outfit and elf helper.

In all, Texas Health nurses won 35 of the 100 spots on the coveted list, accounting for more than one-third of the top nurses in the Metroplex — more than any other hospital or health system in the area.

“Tammy delivers care not only from the head, but from her heart,” her nominator said. “She is a strong patient advocate who stands up for the patient and strives for only the best care for them.”

Quattrochi originally got into nursing because of her love for helping others. “I thought what better way to help people than being a nurse,” she said. “I wanted to do something that would be challenging and rewarding.”
Quattrochi said that she is “extremely grateful and truly honored to be recognized by my peers” and that she can’t even begin to express what it means to her.

It isn’t just her compassion for the patients and their families that makes a difference though. “She lives each day to the fullest, showing an optimistic outlook,” her nominator said. “She is able to make a positive experience out of a bad thing. Her integrity plays a major part in role modeling and she is an active volunteer in many activities throughout the year.”

Quattrochi often attends the annual Bluebonnet Retreat for adult cancer patients, participates in community fundraisers like Relay for Life and assists with community screenings. Also, she currently is participating in the University of Texas at Arlington’s RN to BSN program.