My husband was diagnosed with a life-changing illness. He spent 18 days in the hospital receiving chemo treatment. After returning home, his treatment was changed to receive medication one week each month. Since then, we have met many of the nurses who are professional and competent.
Darlene was our nurse the day we began receiving a new chemo drug for the first time. Before beginning this new treatment, she took the time to explain the many side effects, what he could expect, and answered all the questions we had. We were fortunate to have Darlene again the next day. Even though she was not scheduled to be his nurse the following day, she showed how much she cares about her patients. She took the time to check his blood counts when she began her shift that morning and then promptly called the doctor about a severe problem with one of the counts.
After speaking with the doctor, Darlene promptly called us to explain the problem and relay to us how the doctor wanted to proceed. She also made a point to discuss all this with the nurse that was scheduled to be his nurse that day. Checking on my husband's counts, calling us, and informing the on-duty nurse were all things she did that day that not many nurses would have done. That showed so much compassion, as well as genuine concern for her patients. This is exactly what every patient hopes to receive from a nurse, especially an oncology nurse when you are dealing with this very trying journey of cancer. She is truly a very special Oncology nurse.