I recently passed the 5 year mark as a survivor of a rare cancer. Sandy Burns, my oncology nurse, has been there for me and my husband in so many ways during that time. Easily she can be described as a nurse who gives "remarkable care" with "extraordinary compassion." What does that mean on a day-to-day basis? Sandy can be counted upon to 100% reliable in her follow-through building trust which is so important when you are struggling with such uncertainty. She asks questions to clarify and confirm how I am feeling if I understand what I need to do next, and, of course, what is needed to further my treatment. It is not just what questions she asks but also how she asks them. She has super communication skills; great eye contact, facial expressions are empathetic, her smile is contagious.
We always feel as though she is totally concentrating on us. She helped me get through very challenging times; she went out of her way to offer options and make sure I was understanding what was next as well as giving me just enough information to handle and saying just the right words so that I knew that she was there for me if I needed her. Just knowing that she was there was usually enough. I can't count the number of times my husband said, "call or send a My Chart message to Sandy about it."
Beyond the care in the clinic, Sandy also participates in the cancer center events supporting pancreas cancer patients such as the PC Awareness Night and the PC Task Force bike ride raising funds for research at Carbone. Seeing her at those events, which gives hope to patients like me, is an amazing lift. She goes above and beyond what one would expect...she is a treasure as a human being as well as being a phenomenal nurse. If I was asked to design the ideal oncology nurse, I would say meet Sandy Burns! We are forever grateful for being in her care.