November 2022
Emily
Robson
,
BSN, RN
LCI - Southpark
Levine Cancer Institute
Charlotte
,
NC
United States
Emily quickly advocated for this patient, ensuring the provider laid eyes on him, that pre-medications and or chemotherapy were reevaluated to help him get relief, that he received appropriate supportive medications while in infusion and that appropriate supportive medications were prescribed for home.
Emily is an extraordinary Oncology Infusion Charge Nurse at LCI Southpark, she is constantly going above and beyond to guarantee her patients and their families are receiving compassionate and safe care. Since the COVID pandemic, visitors have not been allowed in the infusion areas. Even though the policy has been extremely helpful in keeping our patients safe it has caused added stress on some of our caregivers, as they feel they are missing important information that is shared during the patient’s infusion treatments. Recognizing this dilemma, Emily tries to ensure she is communicating information with the caregivers even if they are not present in infusion. Recently a gentleman with 2 young teenagers started treatment for colon cancer. This patient struggled with side effects after a couple of chemotherapy treatments. During one of his pump disconnects the patient complained of terrible 8 out of 10 pain all over, jaw pain, and flushing from head to toe, which was causing him great fatigue and worrying his family members, as he wasn’t participating in his daily routines. Emily quickly advocated for this patient, ensuring the provider laid eyes on him, that pre-medications and or chemotherapy were reevaluated to help him get relief, that he received appropriate supportive medications while in infusion and that appropriate supportive medications were prescribed for home. In addition to advocating for the patient, Emily also spent time talking to the patient’s wife informing her about the changes being made, educating her on supportive resources and listening to her concerns, and taking them back to the team. Emily was the support the wife and the patient unknowingly needed. As the infusion nurse, we always make time to educate the patients but typically with our busy schedules there isn’t added time to also talk with caretakers that can’t be present, but Emily made the time to talk with this patient’s wife and reassure her that everything was being done to care for her husband and get him better so he could participate with his family again was a huge relief for them. At the last treatment prior to the patient passing unexpectedly, he told us that he had gained energy back, that he wasn’t in terrible pain anymore, and that he was still planning on taking his daughter on her 16th birthday trip. Emily made a remarkable impact on this patient’s life by advocating, collaborating, and gaining the support of the provider, pharmacist, infusion nurses, and wife to help make this patient’s unknowingly last couple weeks with his family enjoyable!