Dayna Hardee
April 2021
Dayna
Hardee
,
RN
Corona Radiation Oncology Clinical Network Site
City of Hope
Corona
,
CA
United States
Dayna took time out of her busy schedule to eagerly train my nursing friends on how to care for my skin.
I was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of breast cancer. I work in the medical field however, healthcare looks completely different when you are the patient. I first met Dayna Hardee RN, when I went to the City of Hope Corona for Radiation Therapy. She first sat down with me, telling me what to expect, explaining skincare and the different products available. She answered every question I could think of, but most of all she made me feel comfortable about the treatment. She let me know she was always available should I need anything.
I was an unusual case; I received radiation for a few months. Each week Dayna checked to see how everything was going and if there was anything I needed. It wasn’t until a few weeks in that I started to have problems with my skin. It started off being mildly uncomfortable, then my skin became extremely uncomfortable, and finally, I was experiencing 10 out of 10 pain. Dayna became a daily part of my treatment plan. At first, Dayna had me try different over‐the‐counter products designed for the treatment of the skin after radiation therapy. When that was ineffective, she had the oncologist prescribe a topical antibiotic cream which proved to be highly effective. Dayna started meeting me after each radiation treatment, where she personally bandaged my skin so I could go to work. She took pictures, coordinated with other radiation nurses, and researched different treatments for my skincare. She found a wet-to-dry dressing to be administered on nights and weekends to enhance the healing process. Dayna took time out of her busy schedule to eagerly train my nursing friends on how to care for my skin in the evenings and on the weekends. She made sure that I had the necessary pain medication to bring me the proper relief and allow me to sleep at night.
When I finally finished all of my Radiation Therapy, to my surprise and absolute amazement, Dayna insisted I come back at least a few times a week so she could dress my wounds and monitor my skin. Dayna made an extremely unbearable situation bearable. She gave me hope that everything would get better, and she was right. Dayna was there every step of the way. She allowed me to believe I didn’t have to go through the struggle alone, but most of all, she allowed me to believe someone cared. I have never met a nurse who gives so much of herself for cared so unconditionally.
I was an unusual case; I received radiation for a few months. Each week Dayna checked to see how everything was going and if there was anything I needed. It wasn’t until a few weeks in that I started to have problems with my skin. It started off being mildly uncomfortable, then my skin became extremely uncomfortable, and finally, I was experiencing 10 out of 10 pain. Dayna became a daily part of my treatment plan. At first, Dayna had me try different over‐the‐counter products designed for the treatment of the skin after radiation therapy. When that was ineffective, she had the oncologist prescribe a topical antibiotic cream which proved to be highly effective. Dayna started meeting me after each radiation treatment, where she personally bandaged my skin so I could go to work. She took pictures, coordinated with other radiation nurses, and researched different treatments for my skincare. She found a wet-to-dry dressing to be administered on nights and weekends to enhance the healing process. Dayna took time out of her busy schedule to eagerly train my nursing friends on how to care for my skin in the evenings and on the weekends. She made sure that I had the necessary pain medication to bring me the proper relief and allow me to sleep at night.
When I finally finished all of my Radiation Therapy, to my surprise and absolute amazement, Dayna insisted I come back at least a few times a week so she could dress my wounds and monitor my skin. Dayna made an extremely unbearable situation bearable. She gave me hope that everything would get better, and she was right. Dayna was there every step of the way. She allowed me to believe I didn’t have to go through the struggle alone, but most of all, she allowed me to believe someone cared. I have never met a nurse who gives so much of herself for cared so unconditionally.