These three nurses are some of the best nurses that I have ever encountered in my cancer journey.  

Shiny cared for me the first night after an extensive head and neck procedure. She was gentle, kind, and reassuring to my family on that first night. She was wonderful and reassuring as I was just out of surgery. I was fortunate enough to have Shiny as my nurse twice.  

Samantha was my day nurse for several days, and she was so kind and reassuring about the whole process. She answered every question that I had about what she would be doing. She was excellent in helping us get ready for discharge and was kind enough to let us record how to clean a trach, set up tube feedings, and prep food and drugs for feeding tubes, so that we had a reference point should we forget.  

Rubi was an overnight nurse I had several nights as well. She was always smiling and cheerful. Her smiling face would make me smile! Ruby took her time with her care, making sure we understood what she was doing and why she was doing it, which we very much appreciated. She did her very best to take overnight vitals as quietly as she could so as not to disrupt what little sleep I was getting. She was very encouraging with the progress that I was making, which made me want to work harder towards the goal of discharge. Ruby was the first nurse to start interactive training for my husband so that when the “discharge” was used, he was already starting to feel confident about home care for me.  

Although each nurse had her own style, one of the most important things they did was taking moments during their shifts to talk with me so I could get to know them as a person. Learning about their lives, their pets, their families, how they got into nursing, etc. really helped develop a deeper connection, which deepened their caring and my gratefulness for their care.  

I had issues with coughing and my tracheotomy; in fact, one night was very scary, but they all reassured me that I was okay and made sure all the right people were there if needed. These wonderful ladies got me through my fear and issues with the trach, and I am so grateful. I would love to go back to the unit once I am fully recovered and hug these nurses again; they were all so kind, caring, and gentle. They were never impatient, always encouraging.

 After multiple surgeries and five years of chemo in various forms, and having worked at AdventHealth for 12 years in Radiation Oncology, I can say with conviction that these nurses stand out brightly with the care they provide.