You may think it is strange that I am submitting a DAISY Award Nomination for a nurse whom I have never met face-to-face. However, that is an important factor in this nomination. I live in Tucson and drive to Mayo Clinic Phoenix three times a month for chemo treatments. I get my labs done in Tucson the day before my infusion and send them to Nurse Sydney for review.

This saves me a two-hour trip to Phoenix and back if there is something out of line with the labs, resulting in a chemo cancellation. In addition, my scheduling can be very challenging: If my appointments are scheduled for early or late in the day, it means driving in the dark or staying in Phoenix overnight. Another major issue is getting medication approvals and sending the orders to my pharmacy in Tucson in a timely manner. Nurse Sydney has been impeccable in handling my lab approvals, scheduling, medication approvals and other issues, such as knowing when to involve palliative care.

She is my true go-to “patient portal buddy,” and I am so grateful to have someone of Nurse Sydney’s caliber to be a major part of my care. Nurse Sydney gets back to me on labs and confirms my infusion for the following day with lightning speed, which I truly appreciate, as it is only then that I can confirm with my driver that the Phoenix trip is on and can freeze my cold caps, hand and feet covers to wear during my infusion to preserve my hair and guard against neuropathy.

Nurse Sydney understands my scheduling issues and jumps in immediately when times or days are unworkable. Again, she is quick to the rescue and has saved us innumerable miserable drives at the crack of dawn and after sunset. Nurse Sydney is on top of my medications and gets and sends orders to my Tucson pharmacy without fail. It is really daunting when medication orders get held up, and you feel just helpless. This has never happened when Nurse Sydney has been overseeing my care. This has inspired me to make a special effort to go meet Nurse Sydney in person!