After 22 years of devoted service, Perioperative RN Quality Coordinator Joyce Crump says goodbye to the UAB Heersink School of Medicine Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine. Reflecting on her career, she shared the pivotal moments that made up her time in the department. With a mix of nostalgia and excitement for the future, she leaves behind a legacy woven with compassion, learning, and cherished connections.

Crump’s path to UAB began unexpectedly, as she recounts, “I came to UAB because Carraway Hospital where I was working at the time was closing,” she says. Yet, what started as a move driven by circumstance became a transformative chapter. Over two decades, UAB became more than a workplace; it became an avenue for educational pursuits and professional achievements for both her and many family members.

She states that much of her UAB work experience provided her with the knowledge to guide her own children in their chosen careers.  Two of Crump’s sons pursued their higher education at UAB, with one attending the Heersink School of Medicine and earning his M.D. and Ph.D. and the other building a career in law enforcement within the university police department.  Additionally, a grandson is pursuing an electrical engineering degree at UAB.

“I suppose you could refer to us as a UAB alumni legacy family,” she says.

Crump noted one of the most unique aspects of her UAB experience. She states that as a service-minded nurse she was dedicated to quality improvement initiatives and truly enjoyed working with like-minded colleagues to improve patient care.  In addition, she was enthusiastic in her support to the next generation of new learners and future healthcare providers.  However, it was when she and her husband became the patients themselves that she experienced first-hand the true impact of those endeavors.  “We have received excellent care, and it has been reassuring to know the skill and expertise of my colleagues who cared for us,” says Crump.

As aspects of her own life changed and evolved, she made necessary pivots to her career path. “I have worn many hats in my life, such as wife, mother, stepmother, grandmother, sister, caregiver to elderly parents, student, educator, nurse, patient, QI professional, manager and mentor,” she says, “the list is rather long.”

Crump’s career was never stagnant, and she never slowed in her pursuit of knowledge. She came to UAB with education and experience in journalism, business. and nursing.   Because of the unique opportunities available to her in this environment Crump also earned both her B.S.N. and M.S.N. (family nurse practitioner) as well as her doctorate in nursing practice (D.N.P.) from UAB.

“It was wonderful to be able to keep current with both my skills and knowledge, and I always felt as though I was on the cutting edge of learning,” Crump says,” It was also fun to attend classes at the same time as my sons- at least it was for me! In fact, one graduation program had both my son’s name and my name listed.”

Transitioning to the next phase of her life, Crump’s spirit of adventure remains undimmed. As avid travel enthusiasts she and her husband, Philip, plan to continue exploring the wonders of the world. That transition also includes exploring new avenues to utilize her years of nursing and management experience. She states that her additional credentials as a forensic examiner and legal nurse consultant offers many service opportunities. 

As she says goodbye to her colleagues and the institution she called home for over two decades, her departure marks not an end, but a new beginning—an opportunity to write the next chapter of her journey, enriched by the experiences and memories made at UAB.

When looking back at the legacy she leaves behind, she desires to be remembered for embodying values of respect, compassion, and integrity.

“Throughout my life, I hope that I have treated all of whom I have encountered in the same manner as that we would all hope to receive for ourselves, that is, with respect, dignity, compassion, grace and integrity.  If patients, colleagues, friends and acquaintances, remember me in that way, and if by example I have instilled those values in my children and grandchildren then perhaps we can use the word ‘legacy’ to describe my time at UAB.”