Janice goes above and beyond for her patients every day. In my short tenure as the new Nurse Manager at Methodist Infusion, I have been so incredibly impressed with her ability to connect with her patients. Janice knows each patient and their family member by name and goes out of her way to make sure their every need is met. She has a warmth about her that allows her to build rapport quickly, while also having the ability to honest and frank with her patients when warranted.
Of note, I observed a follow-up visit with Janice for a patient with metastatic Pancreatic Cancer. Once a truly vibrant woman, this patient was now disengaged and depressed. The patient's husband was distraught with her demeanor. In a matter of minutes, Janice was able to open up conversation between the patient and her husband for the first time in weeks, and allowed them to share their fears and feelings with one another. In addition to giving the patient and her husband social work and therapy resources, Janice gave them a safe space to reconnect.
On another occasion, Janice realized that a patient was not going to be able to afford the $500 co-pay for necessary medication. When she asked the patient about this, the patient shared that she was going to have to make a withdrawal from her retirement to afford the drug. Janice took it upon herself to call the insurance company, made them aware of the situation, and was able to negotiate a significant decrease in the cost of therapy for the patient. While the financial toxicity of oncology treatment is a hot topic right now, it was obvious that Janice has these difficult conversations with each and every patient. She will stop at nothing to ensure the patient has all the resources they require.
Yet again (just yesterday, in fact) we had a patient from Haiti who was beside herself with anxiety as she was due to begin her first chemotherapy infusion. The patient was tearful and struggling to remain still to allow the RN to access her port. Unprompted, Janice arrived in the infusion center, held the patient's hand, and walked her through every step of the process. She allowed the patient to transfer her pain, kissed the patient's hand, and put her at ease. Janice has the innate ability to meet every need of her patients-- physiologic, emotional, and spiritual. She embodies holistic nursing care and is a true DAISY Nurse.