News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
The Tennessee Tech community honoring Cumberland County Mayor Allen Foster’s late wife by establishing the Rebecca Foster Memorial Scholarship Endowment.
Foster graduated from Tennessee Tech’s School of Nursing in 1990 and proceeded to serve as the Director of the Intensive Care Unit and Telemetry, Director of Risk Management, and Chief Nursing Officer during her 29 years at Cumberland Medical Center in Crossville. School of Nursing Dean Kimberly Hanna said Foster life ended, Rebecca wanted to make one more sacrifice that would have a lasting impact.
“Rebecca communicated that upon her death she wanted to help others achieve their goal of becoming a nurse and then again instead of flowers she indicated that family and friends honor her by giving to a scholarship to help students with their nursing education. It was awesome it was another choice that she made.”
Hanna said Foster passed away in April and over 100 Golden Eagle Community members contributed to the scholarship since then. Hanna said endowment will at least be more than $25,000. Hanna said Foster often told colleagues and students that nursing is a sacrificial profession acknowledging that a great nurse must put oneself aside in the service of others. Hanna said before Rebecca’s
“The establishment of this scholarship will not only celebrate Rebecca’s legacy,” Hanna said. “It will help establish the legacies of many men and women in nursing to care for others.”
Hanna said over the years she has used Foster as an example of how to be a great nurse when teaching students. Hanna said she recalls as student, Foster stepped up to help a hospital that had no one working in the labor and delivery unit.
“This was her first time in labor and delivery and when I entered the unit the nurse was absolutely wonderful to me and was just as pleased as she could be,” Hanna said. “I asked Rebecca what did you do? and she said I went right up to her and looked her straight in the eye, told her who I was, where I was from, and shook her hand. I will never forget that she made such a first impression on that nurse.”
Hanna said Foster will be remembered for leaving a good first impression but now that she has passed we now know she leaves an even better final impression.
