Sarah Fiedler
October 2015
Sarah
Fiedler
,
RN
Ambulatory Radiation-Oncology
Yale New Haven Hospital
New Haven
,
CT
United States
Sarah always goes above and beyond to get to know her patients at a personal level. She always gives hugs when needed and spends time with her patients when they need extra emotional support. She truly knows how to connect with her patients.
...
It was April 13th, Sarah's grandfather's birthday, and spring had finally arrived. Sarah prepared all the information for one of her patients for her first day of radiation at Smilow Cancer Hospital, including skin lotion and an informational sheet. She was beginning treatment to the base of her tongue, which was to be a challenging journey. Any treatment focusing on the head and neck needs much attention since this area is the portal in which we breathe, eat, drink and communicate. This patient is an engineer, a wife and a mother; someone who had always taken care of others. Radiation was not in her life plans, neither was the concurrent chemotherapy she was also about to undergo. As Sarah and her patient reviewed what possible side effects she would experience and how she was to handle the coming weeks, she absorbed this information with confidence, an open mind and a smile. Her husband was a great support system and her daughter, who was scheduled to graduate in May from college, was her main focus. All she wanted was to make it to the graduation and focus on her daughter's accomplishments and not the cancer. As the weeks progressed, she proceeded with great triumph. She always had a smile on her face, was forcing herself to drink water and eat, and made a point to wear crazy socks each day.
As she was crossing off the days leading up to her final treatment day, her daughter's college graduation was also rapidly approaching. On one of her doctor visit treatment days, Sarah took her in one of the exam rooms and just as she was completing her vital signs, she became teary eyed. Sarah asked what was going on and she said she was afraid she was going to lose her hair before her daughter's graduation. She wanted her daughter's accomplishments to be the highlight, not her mother's illness. Sarah and she hugged and tears began to flow. They then immediately began to brainstorm about how they could solve this possible challenge. She selected a scarf that matched her dress, and this concealed her radiated burned skin around her neck. And, after asking the chemotherapy floor regarding the side effects and examining where exactly the radiation was being focused, we discovered she would not lose her hair from the chemotherapy. However, the radiation would thin her hair only along her neckline. Problem solved, anxiety diverted!
All their planning and possible hair piece/wig discussions did ease her mind and made the possibility of having to pursue this avenue a bit more manageable. All she would need was her beautiful scarf and no rain on her daughter's special day! This experience helped build a strong rapport and trust between the patient and Sarah. She has since attended her daughter's graduation with confidence, completed radiation and chemotherapy treatment successfully and has had a positive follow-up visit with her radiation doctor. She is enjoying the summer and her daughter has been hired in a physical therapy department.
This patient could not say enough about how Sarah went above and beyond to help her with her emotional needs, and warmly hugged Sarah on her monthly follow-up visit, thanking her profusely for all her support.
...
Another example of Sarah's compassionate care was when she found a male patient in an exam room who was crying after his news of cancer and now needing radiation-she stayed with him as he vented about his sadness and took the time to listen to him and support his feelings-he was an avid gardener, and never forgot about all the support that Sarah gave him that day-he now brings special plants that he has grown to Sarah on occasion in appreciation for her supportive listening ear.
...
It was April 13th, Sarah's grandfather's birthday, and spring had finally arrived. Sarah prepared all the information for one of her patients for her first day of radiation at Smilow Cancer Hospital, including skin lotion and an informational sheet. She was beginning treatment to the base of her tongue, which was to be a challenging journey. Any treatment focusing on the head and neck needs much attention since this area is the portal in which we breathe, eat, drink and communicate. This patient is an engineer, a wife and a mother; someone who had always taken care of others. Radiation was not in her life plans, neither was the concurrent chemotherapy she was also about to undergo. As Sarah and her patient reviewed what possible side effects she would experience and how she was to handle the coming weeks, she absorbed this information with confidence, an open mind and a smile. Her husband was a great support system and her daughter, who was scheduled to graduate in May from college, was her main focus. All she wanted was to make it to the graduation and focus on her daughter's accomplishments and not the cancer. As the weeks progressed, she proceeded with great triumph. She always had a smile on her face, was forcing herself to drink water and eat, and made a point to wear crazy socks each day.
As she was crossing off the days leading up to her final treatment day, her daughter's college graduation was also rapidly approaching. On one of her doctor visit treatment days, Sarah took her in one of the exam rooms and just as she was completing her vital signs, she became teary eyed. Sarah asked what was going on and she said she was afraid she was going to lose her hair before her daughter's graduation. She wanted her daughter's accomplishments to be the highlight, not her mother's illness. Sarah and she hugged and tears began to flow. They then immediately began to brainstorm about how they could solve this possible challenge. She selected a scarf that matched her dress, and this concealed her radiated burned skin around her neck. And, after asking the chemotherapy floor regarding the side effects and examining where exactly the radiation was being focused, we discovered she would not lose her hair from the chemotherapy. However, the radiation would thin her hair only along her neckline. Problem solved, anxiety diverted!
All their planning and possible hair piece/wig discussions did ease her mind and made the possibility of having to pursue this avenue a bit more manageable. All she would need was her beautiful scarf and no rain on her daughter's special day! This experience helped build a strong rapport and trust between the patient and Sarah. She has since attended her daughter's graduation with confidence, completed radiation and chemotherapy treatment successfully and has had a positive follow-up visit with her radiation doctor. She is enjoying the summer and her daughter has been hired in a physical therapy department.
This patient could not say enough about how Sarah went above and beyond to help her with her emotional needs, and warmly hugged Sarah on her monthly follow-up visit, thanking her profusely for all her support.
...
Another example of Sarah's compassionate care was when she found a male patient in an exam room who was crying after his news of cancer and now needing radiation-she stayed with him as he vented about his sadness and took the time to listen to him and support his feelings-he was an avid gardener, and never forgot about all the support that Sarah gave him that day-he now brings special plants that he has grown to Sarah on occasion in appreciation for her supportive listening ear.