Donna has been assigned to my father twice now for an infusion at the Cancer Center. She has gone out of her way to make my father comfortable. At one point, she even stayed after hours to make sure he was able to get a blood transfusion, the same day as his chemo infusion, so he wouldn't have to come back to the cancer center the next day. Despite the busyness of the center, she continually checked on him, making sure all his needs were met. She treated my father like a friend. She is compassionate, yet still quite professional. All nurses should strive to give the patients the level of professionalism Donna showed my father. It truly made a difference in helping him cope with the trauma he has experienced over the past twenty years of dealing with cancer. Donna is a stellar nurse and should be recognized and rewarded for her excellent care of patients.
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Donna is an excellent example for other nurses in how to show compassion to patients, while still maintaining a level of professionalism. She was to the point, let my father know exactly what treatment he would be getting and why, as well as the side effects that could occur. She also, however, maintained a very positive attitude and assured him that although side effects do occur, and could in his case, that they are quite rare and she didn't feel there was any need for concern. This greatly put his mind at ease and allowed him and my mother to relax. I am grateful for nurses such as Donna, who clearly show that they not only value their job as a nurse but also the rights and concerns of the patients in their care.