Photo: Cheryl Santosusso, BSN, RN, with her team.
Chemotherapy Infusion Nurse Cheryl Santosusso, BSN, RN, received a very special thank you from her long-time patient when she was surprised with the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses.
In nominating Cheryl for the DAISY Award, J wrote: Cheryl has been my chemo infusion nurse for a couple of years now. I have been dealing with colon cancer since November 2006. I have received incredible care and treatment at Jefferson from all of my doctors and nurses, and when I saw the brochure for the DAISY Award, I immediately knew I had to nominate Cheryl.
I am on chemo quite regularly to keep the cancer in check, so I see Cheryl for treatment on a pretty regular basis. She is a bright spot for me on such a rough day. Every other Monday morning I come in and she listens to me go over my usual and varied list of concerns. She answers all of my questions or finds the answers, and always follows up with me.
Cheryl is exactly what you hope your chemo nurse will be-- patient, kind, very smart, and always willing to be the liaison between me (the patient) and my oncologist. Nurses, especially the chemo nurses, are so important to the care of cancer patients; I have learned and experienced that over and over again on my cancer journey. I have been so extremely lucky to have Cheryl as my nurse. She has consistently gone above and beyond her required duties as my nurse. I know she has made a true difference in my fight against this disease and imagine that all of her other patients feel the same way.
J is a special patient to Jefferson as well and is featured in the Hospital’s “I Can” awareness campaign about colorectal cancer.