If you’ve ever experienced a tough hospital stay, or even an outpatient visit for a serious medical issue, you probably recall more than a few times when a nurse has been the person who gave you the extra dose of strength and comfort and courage to get through that difficult time. It was their compassion beyond clinical care that made the difference in how you responded to your illness and its treatment.

National Nurses Week (May 6-12) is an opportunity to celebrate and honor the power of nurses to empower the sick to “walk their path” toward recovery and resilience.  Coincidentally, May is also Oncology Nursing Month.  As Wilmot R.N. Tara Johnson can attest, oncology nursing brings a “layer of intensity to an
already demanding profession.” At the same time, you are “making a positive and lasting impact as “you are literally providing care for the sickest and most vulnerable patients. “

A former US Army nurse, Tara has served for the last 10 years as part of the team at Wilmot Cancer Institute, working as a Lymphoma Care Coordinator alongside Dr. Carla Casulo.  Tara counts among the rewards the opportunity to “share significant milestones with [her] patients, celebrating positive outcomes such as remission and improvements in symptoms, while providing continuous support throughout the patient’s care journey. “

Sara Phillips, an R.N. in the Apheresis Unit at Wilmot, is also working toward her Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing. “The greatest challenge of my work,” she says is “facing, dealing with, and accepting death regularly. I’ve watched some of the strongest and kindest people pass away from cancer. It can take a toll on your mental and emotional health.” She cites the importance of “staying centered” in order to give 100% to those in her care. The “centering” she explains comes from just remembering to “ take a deep breath, refresh and rejoin” the journey she takes with her patients.

Shazeena Salim, also part of the Apheresis Unit, has a deeply personal connection with oncology nursing. Motivated by the loss of her father to lung cancer, she was also inspired by her daughter’s encouragement to pursue nursing. For Shazeena, being able to empower her patients comes from the desire to “support and empower each other,” as she noted the importance of “ intentional time and structure for mentorship, education, and professional development of nurses within each shift.“ Currently pursuing her
Master’s Degree as a Nurse Educator, Shazeena is committed to fostering a stronger workforce for future nurses.

Nurse Leader Paul DeRitis has made oncology nursing as much a calling as a profession following his own experience of having a rare blood cancer called Hodgkin Lymphoma. At the time, now more than 20 years ago, he was working as an Operating Room Nurse on UR Medicine’s Cardiology Team and recalled asking “how can this be happening?”. After all, he was young, healthy, a busy father and husband. . . A confirmed diagnosis came several biopsies later and ultimately Paul underwent a stem-cell transplant, an advanced procedure that replaces a patient’s unhealthy immune cells with healthy ones.

It was a life-changing journey to say the least, for Deritis who now heads the
Apheresis Unit at Wilmot. And although “reliving” his personal journey in his
current role can be emotional, Paul believes there is a special reward in being
able to have “real conversations” with patients that involve ‘real questions and
talking about their real fears.”

For all these nurses, carrying the lamp for their patients, as Florence Nightingale
did long ago, ensures there is always a light, illuminating the path for both patients and nurses during their darkest times and guiding them toward a new place of healing and resilience.

The author would also like to thank nurses Lisa, Ashley and Lynn of the Wilmot Apheresis Unit for shining the light and their support of patients experiencing blood cancer.   (Photo Courtesy of UR Medicine – Wilmot Cancer Institute)