From the Heart of a Nurse: Patient Honors Moffitt Nurses This National Nurses Week
For breast cancer patient Tammie Couch, nursing has never been just a profession, it’s been a lifelong mission of compassion, advocacy and commitment to care. A nurse for 44 years and now president of the West Palm Beach chapter of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, Couch’s life has been shaped by both the giving and receiving of care.
When her cancer diagnosis brought her to Moffitt Cancer Center, she experienced something she never expected: healing not only of the body, but also a profound reaffirmation of everything she believed nursing should be.
“I’ve been to other cancer centers. But what I experienced at Moffitt was extraordinary and life changing,” Couch said.
Retired nurse and Moffitt patient Tammie Couch (front center) is surrounded by her family.
Couch’s journey to Moffitt was born out of frustration. After countless appointments, conflicting answers and a lack of urgency from other institutions, she traveled across the state on what she calls a “leap of faith.” She prayed for clarity and resolution — and Moffitt answered.
In one day, she met with her entire care team. She had her questions answered, a plan in place and finally, peace of mind.
But what stood out most? The nurses.
“As a nurse, I know what it takes. And the care I received here was unmatched, I never felt like a number. I felt like I was the only patient they had,” she said. “The nurse walked in like clockwork. She planned my care so thoughtfully. I didn’t even need to call for help because she anticipated what I would need. That’s excellence. That’s nursing.”
Her story is filled with moments that show the humanity behind the profession: a nurse giving her socks and a warm blanket, a card tucked into her discharge bag with handwritten notes from the team, a 4 a.m. bathroom trip guided with kindness and dignity.
Couch, who at 4 years old, promised God she’d become a nurse if her mother survived breast cancer, has spent decades fulfilling that promise. And now, as a patient herself, she recognizes the full-circle beauty of nursing.
“We make the unbearable just a little more bearable. That’s what nurses do,” she said.
Couch lovingly refers to the nurses at Moffitt as part of a “healthy work environment,” professionals working seamlessly, with empathy and integrity, never missing a beat.
“You’ve figured it out here. The culture at Moffitt is different. It’s what every nurse hopes for when they start this journey,” Couch said.
This National Nurses Week, Couch’s words serve as a letter of gratitude to the nurses who cared for her, and to every nurse who chooses the hard work of healing.
