Ashley Duross
June 2021
Ashley
Duross
,
RN
St. Mary's Healthcare
St. Mary's Healthcare
Amsterdam
,
NY
United States
Ashley works every position when needed, and I mean every position, including checking patients in.
Ashley always goes above and beyond not only for her patients but also for her staff. She is dedicated to each patient. She gives each of them more than 100% of her time. She often gives her private number for patients' calls if they still have questions after being at our facility. She is a warm and caring person and loves her job. She exhibits a positive work ethic and is a leader that each of us looks up to.
***
In 2015 I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer at the age of 53. Ashley was the first nurse I encounter through a very difficult Chemo period. Ashley became my angel and was there for me in any and every way I needed her.
When I couldn't tolerate liquids to flush the Chemo out, she would run bags of saline through me so I was hydrated. She spent so much time beside me during my treatments that my family and I began to think of her as family. I am 6 years cancer-free at this time, but I am so grateful to say that nurse Ashley has never left me. We've remained friends and never has my gratitude for all this young beautiful woman been forgotten for a moment. I know many nurses deserve this award for the heroes they are every day. But Ashley Duross has been my personal hero and deserves this for the many lives, not only mine that she touches at the Cancer Center.
***
Ashley is the Nurse Manager of our Cancer Center and she is not your average Nurse Manager. I have worked in 4 other Oncology facilities and by far Ashley is the most involved with her staff and patients like no other. I am a Breast Health Nurse Navigator at this facility and while I do not work in the same department, we share patients and I am in Ashley's department quite a bit with our mutual patients.
Ashley works every position when needed, and I mean every position, including checking patients in. Ashley steps up for any need. The reason Ashley fills in anywhere at any time is for the patients and making sure that they are getting the best care, at the same time keeping the patients comfortable. You never want a patient, especially Oncology patients, worried when they come in or anywhere in their visit to any facility or department to not have a person to greet them or sent to another area because someone is not there to meet their needs. Ashley knows this and when needed does whatever it is to keep patients reassured that all is good in this little most important part of their time here at our facility.
I have numerous times needed Ashley for help with follow-up with our mutual patients on an immediate basis and Ashley is right there to help me. Ashley has worked hard to set up our support group for our patients and went above and beyond to develop our own program for patients similar to the American Cancer Society's "look good feel good program". This program has volunteered with donated make-up and wigs who teach patients how to apply makeup, and styles wigs when needed. This program in the past prior to COVID and the "Look good feel good" (LGFG) program itself going virtual (prior to COVID) was absolutely loved by our patients.
Ashley realized while the LGFG virtual program may work for some, our facility serves a rural area and therefore certain patients would not be able to benefit from this very special program. While we have not started this program as of today due to COVID, Ashley has everything in place for these patients to start as soon as it is safe to do so. Patients who are warriors fighting cancer truly need these very important support programs, it helps them interact with fellow cancer warriors. Thanks to Ashley they can.
My personal thoughts on Ashley are that she is truly an "old soul". She is one of the most involved caring managers that looks at the whole person and addresses each situation with that employee and their personality in mind, never a cookie-cutter response to our employees' needs or constructive criticism when needed. This to me is so valuable. Ashley truly makes our Cancer Center like a family. A feeling like a loving and caring " mother" always watching out and making sure that everyone feels a part of the family and feels loved. I could go on and on, but I feel I got my point across. Thank you for this opportunity to share how important Ashley is to the patients at our cancer center, us as employees, our community, and St. Mary's Hospital facility.
***
In 2015 I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer at the age of 53. Ashley was the first nurse I encounter through a very difficult Chemo period. Ashley became my angel and was there for me in any and every way I needed her.
When I couldn't tolerate liquids to flush the Chemo out, she would run bags of saline through me so I was hydrated. She spent so much time beside me during my treatments that my family and I began to think of her as family. I am 6 years cancer-free at this time, but I am so grateful to say that nurse Ashley has never left me. We've remained friends and never has my gratitude for all this young beautiful woman been forgotten for a moment. I know many nurses deserve this award for the heroes they are every day. But Ashley Duross has been my personal hero and deserves this for the many lives, not only mine that she touches at the Cancer Center.
***
Ashley is the Nurse Manager of our Cancer Center and she is not your average Nurse Manager. I have worked in 4 other Oncology facilities and by far Ashley is the most involved with her staff and patients like no other. I am a Breast Health Nurse Navigator at this facility and while I do not work in the same department, we share patients and I am in Ashley's department quite a bit with our mutual patients.
Ashley works every position when needed, and I mean every position, including checking patients in. Ashley steps up for any need. The reason Ashley fills in anywhere at any time is for the patients and making sure that they are getting the best care, at the same time keeping the patients comfortable. You never want a patient, especially Oncology patients, worried when they come in or anywhere in their visit to any facility or department to not have a person to greet them or sent to another area because someone is not there to meet their needs. Ashley knows this and when needed does whatever it is to keep patients reassured that all is good in this little most important part of their time here at our facility.
I have numerous times needed Ashley for help with follow-up with our mutual patients on an immediate basis and Ashley is right there to help me. Ashley has worked hard to set up our support group for our patients and went above and beyond to develop our own program for patients similar to the American Cancer Society's "look good feel good program". This program has volunteered with donated make-up and wigs who teach patients how to apply makeup, and styles wigs when needed. This program in the past prior to COVID and the "Look good feel good" (LGFG) program itself going virtual (prior to COVID) was absolutely loved by our patients.
Ashley realized while the LGFG virtual program may work for some, our facility serves a rural area and therefore certain patients would not be able to benefit from this very special program. While we have not started this program as of today due to COVID, Ashley has everything in place for these patients to start as soon as it is safe to do so. Patients who are warriors fighting cancer truly need these very important support programs, it helps them interact with fellow cancer warriors. Thanks to Ashley they can.
My personal thoughts on Ashley are that she is truly an "old soul". She is one of the most involved caring managers that looks at the whole person and addresses each situation with that employee and their personality in mind, never a cookie-cutter response to our employees' needs or constructive criticism when needed. This to me is so valuable. Ashley truly makes our Cancer Center like a family. A feeling like a loving and caring " mother" always watching out and making sure that everyone feels a part of the family and feels loved. I could go on and on, but I feel I got my point across. Thank you for this opportunity to share how important Ashley is to the patients at our cancer center, us as employees, our community, and St. Mary's Hospital facility.