For Mount Sterling native Allison Roland, family is the most important aspect of her life – both at work and in her personal life.
“[Saint Joseph Mount Sterling] is a wonderful place to work,” Allison said. “It’s been through a lot of changes, but this is my home. We’re a family here.”
As a unit clerk/tech, Allison juggles multiple tasks at the same time, helping nurses, physicians, administration and patients throughout her 12-hour shifts.
“Patient care is my favorite thing,” Allison said. “Sometimes you’re the only person that patient sees, so being able to talk to them and give them comfort is what I really love most.”
“I want to help people,” Allison added. “I feel like being in this setting, I’m able to serve patients, which is something I always wanted to do since I was a kid.”
Her call to serve was recognized by her peers and patients with a BEE award recently. The award celebrates nursing support staff who go Beyond Exceptional Expectations (BEE) in service, care and compassion.
Outside of her job, Allison spends her time with her 4-year-old son and husband, who she said keep her on her toes. On the weekends, they’re traveling to drag races, demolition derbies and tractor pulls that her husband competes in.
“Anything motorsports, we’re into that,” Allison said. “We love to farm, swim and fish. We bought a house on a mini farm and we started building a pond on the farm.”
Growing up on a farm with her grandfather, Allison helped harvest tobacco and doctor cows. On her own farm, she and her husband have lots of future plans.
“My son has a miniature donkey that he loves tremendously,” Allison said. “He would rather sleep in the pen with the donkey than in his own bed. The donkey’s name is Ronald – Ronald the miniature donkey. He’s gentle; the best little thing.”
They also have an Australian shepherd puppy named Piper, but Allison said her son’s next dream pet is a bird.
“To preface, my son is not afraid of anything; we went to a pet store to get some fish and he comes to me with this bird on his arm,” Allison said. “He reached into the cage and got it and walked around the store with it. After my grandmother passed away, we were cleaning up her house and found her little bird cage. I took it and we’re going to put a little bird in it for [my son] for Christmas.”
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