I feel fortunate to have been assigned Stephanie Benoit as my infusion nurse.

We started together several years ago when I was on a trial at Yawkey. Stephanie was very diligent with the many specific requirements of the trial regimen, meticulous with the medication administration, and excellent at explaining the steps along the way, demonstrating true caring practices and clinical judgment. Her conscientiousness helped me feel reassured during a very difficult and uncertain time, and her explanations of the process helped foster a sense of control.

When my trial was abruptly ended due to a manufacturer's bankruptcy, Stephanie became my reliable learning facilitator, helping me transition to a new protocol. We both moved over to Chestnut Hill once the trial was approved for that location, so there was never a break in my care with her, and today, we have a trusting relationship that has developed over four years and multiple drug treatment regimens.

Stephanie listens – and hears me – when I mention what’s happening with my body. She has a way of getting me to talk so that she can get insight into the severity and duration of symptoms, even when I might be minimizing them. Over the years, I have had a number of different side effects and rare reactions to treatment and radiation. At each visit, Stephanie has made sure to follow up on each of these situations, not just medically but empathetically, and to offer suggestions to help me feel more comfortable and heal quickly. Because of the individualized attention she has shown me, I have always felt seen and sure of the care I am receiving.

This attention extends to my husband, who, as my support person, attends all my treatments and has a special rapport with Stephanie. It is so important that the caregiver is involved in the whole treatment process, and seeing how she includes him in all my care procedures and learning discussions, and how comfortable he is with asking his own questions, makes me know that Stephanie understands this point.

Unexpected things can happen during treatments, and the few times they did, Stephanie acted decisively and professionally. Once, when I felt lightheaded after an infusion, Stephanie offered me food and drink and attentively observed me for a period of time to ensure that I was recovering appropriately and was okay to be released. The few times my port was giving trouble, Stephanie took control and, over a period of time, had me try different positions, contacted my doctor to order TPA, brought in another nurse for an additional perspective, and even administered the medications intravenously when all else failed so that I did not have to miss a treatment. In these instances, I experienced Stephanie using excellent clinical judgment and felt well cared for.

Stephanie advocates for me even before I am in the infusion chair. The few times I notified her that I had scheduling constraints, she had my back. While managing her caseload, she put calls into the pharmacy to help expedite my drugs and continually monitored the status so that she could get me into a chair as soon as possible. In those cases, I truly felt that my time was respected because of the attention Stephanie put toward accommodating my schedule.

I have observed Stephanie training one particular student over a few of my visits. At these times, she showed the student the same respect that she shows her peers. She was patient as he worked on new skills, providing excellent instruction with her tell-tale calmness and reassurance. Because of her conscientiousness while overseeing her students’ techniques, I never felt that my care was being compromised.

There have also been a few times when Stephanie was the triage nurse, and I was able to observe from my room her clinical judgment and decisiveness, and how the other nurses respect her.

Stephanie has all the qualities one could ask for.

She is an exceptional infusion nurse, a strong advocate, a steady educator, and the kind of person who makes an unimaginable journey feel safer and more manageable.