Kristen Johnson
July 2024
Kristen
Johnson
,
BSN, RN, CPHON
Pediatric hematology/Oncology
Sanford Health Bismarck
Bismarck
,
ND
United States
She knows how to talk to her when she is emotionally struggling. She is encouraging her every step of the way. There have been many days when it was hard to come to chemo, but her smile, care, and way of making it fun have made a world of difference in our lives.
We started our journey with the Bismarck Pediatric Oncology Clinic in October of 2023. The devastation from our daughter's diagnosis was raw. The fear and uncertainty was horrifying. We had spent a month in Fargo, where our daughter had been intubated in ICU, and then completed our induction period for a month. Chemo is daunting. Not only the side effects of nausea, hair loss, fatigue, and low counts but also the emotional trauma of your world being crushed. My beautiful daughter was a senior in high school. She was a cheerleader, FFA chapter president, worked as a barista at the local coffee shop and a social butterfly. This diagnosis turned her world around.
From the moment we stepped into the clinic, Kristen has become our lifeline. She is frequently asked to help on the hospital side when they have difficulty accessing H's port. She is always helping the others. When H had an anaphylactic reaction to one of the chemo medications, she knew exactly what to do. She was already prepared, knowing there was a 50/50 chance this could happen. Her skills saved my child that day.
What we love most about Kristin is that she can tell when H is struggling. My daughter doesn't even have to say anything and Kristen knows just what to say. She takes extra time to support her emotionally. She knows how to talk to her when she is emotionally struggling. She is encouraging her every step of the way. There have been many days when it was hard to come to chemo, but her smile, care, and way of making it fun have made a world of difference in our lives. From her playing and singing with the ukulele to water fights, our warrior gets to still be a kid during her fight! Words can not truly explain what a gift Kristen has been to our warrior and family.
Words can not truly explain how special she is. I am not sure we would have made it without her! Her kindness, compassion, and skills as a nurse are amazing. Our world needs more people like her. You are blessed to have her as an employee. As our daughter moves to Fargo to pursue college, I wish we could take her with us. In fact, we would love to take this whole team with us as they are all amazing.
From the moment we stepped into the clinic, Kristen has become our lifeline. She is frequently asked to help on the hospital side when they have difficulty accessing H's port. She is always helping the others. When H had an anaphylactic reaction to one of the chemo medications, she knew exactly what to do. She was already prepared, knowing there was a 50/50 chance this could happen. Her skills saved my child that day.
What we love most about Kristin is that she can tell when H is struggling. My daughter doesn't even have to say anything and Kristen knows just what to say. She takes extra time to support her emotionally. She knows how to talk to her when she is emotionally struggling. She is encouraging her every step of the way. There have been many days when it was hard to come to chemo, but her smile, care, and way of making it fun have made a world of difference in our lives. From her playing and singing with the ukulele to water fights, our warrior gets to still be a kid during her fight! Words can not truly explain what a gift Kristen has been to our warrior and family.
Words can not truly explain how special she is. I am not sure we would have made it without her! Her kindness, compassion, and skills as a nurse are amazing. Our world needs more people like her. You are blessed to have her as an employee. As our daughter moves to Fargo to pursue college, I wish we could take her with us. In fact, we would love to take this whole team with us as they are all amazing.