“A Patient had just been admitted for chemotherapy following her diagnosis of acute leukemia. I was orienting with Amethyst when we went by her room for some small task. She wasn't our patient that day and I can't remember why we went into her room, maybe it was just to turn off a beeping IV pump. Whatever the reason was, Amethyst introduced us and asked the patient how she was doing. She quickly picked up on a note of uncertainty and distress in the patients answer. She sat down across from the patient and proceeded to patiently and systematically address the patient's concerns about her disease, treatment and plan of care. It was clear that nobody had yet sat down with her and listened to her fears and anxieties about cancer and chemotherapy. Months later, after the patient had received multiple rounds of chemo and navigated multiple complications with the help of our unit's wonderful staff, I stopped in the hallway to chat with her about how she was doing. She mentioned that day when Amethyst and I had stopped by her room. She told me how she had always remembered that day and how much it had meant to her.
On our floor, we have multiple long-term patients admitted for long and repeated cycles of chemotherapy. Amethyst takes the time to get to know them and their families. She addresses their physical and emotional needs with a rare combination of expertise and tenderness. She embodies the qualities that any nurse, especially an oncology nurse, should exhibit. For this reason, and many others, I nominate Amethyst for the DAISY Award.”


(L to R) Holly Wicklas (Oncology Manager), Amethyst Dionson (Honoree), Karen Grimley (CNO), Susan Christensen (Medical Surgical Director)