LOU ANN FOSTER, B.S.N., RN, OCN
The nursing occupation is dwelling to numerous extraordinary people who possess the talents, information and compassion needed to offer high-quality care to sufferers on daily basis. Amongst these devoted professionals, there’s a particular group of nurses who’ve dedicated their careers to most cancers care. These nurses exhibit distinctive empathy and energy, guiding people by means of among the most difficult phases of life. They’re grateful to share within the treasured moments of overcoming vital medical obstacles, in addition to offering consolation throughout the closing moments of life. Inside this group, some uncommon healers possess not solely the required abilities and traits for caring for oncology sufferers but in addition a singular presence that impacts everybody round them. Their palpable essence goes past commonplace nursing care; they carry a way of calm to our minds and peace to our souls.
It’s an honor to introduce you to one among these uncommon healers. As a younger woman in rural East Texas, Ann Foster, BSN, RN, OCN, grew up decided to turn out to be a nurse sooner or later. She admired the white clothes and crisp nursing cap uniforms. After graduating highschool in 1965, her dream was to enroll in a nursing program, however missing cash, she received a job working as a bookkeeper in a neighborhood dwelling and auto retailer as an alternative. Ann excelled and ultimately turned the shop supervisor for 15 years till she began a brand new job at Texas Furnishings in 1990.
Ann’s life took a big flip with new challenges when her household encountered the world of oncology. In 1991, her husband was identified with esophageal most cancers, and their lives shortly began on an unfamiliar journey. This expertise drained their household’s time, power, funds, and feelings. All through this tough interval, Ann obtained super help from her employer, Texas Furnishings, which allowed her to journey forwards and backwards to The College of Texas MD Anderson Most cancers Heart in Houston for her husband’s medical trial. She obtained nice consolation from the nursing crew, who constantly went above and past to offer the absolute best care. Ann was profoundly grateful for the dedication and compassion proven by the nurses throughout her husband’s remedy.
LOU ANN FOSTER, B.S.N., RN, OCN
Sadly, regardless of their efforts, the most cancers remedies have been unsuccessful, and her husband handed away in 1992, simply 4 months after his analysis. It was his forty eighth birthday. Ann was solely 44 years previous when she turned a widow. After taking a while to grieve, Ann realized that she nonetheless had a lot of her personal life to stay. She mirrored on her journey and prayed for steering on the way to transfer ahead sooner or later at a time. By her prayers, she felt impressed to return to highschool and pursue her childhood dream of turning into a nurse. Her supporters at Texas Furnishings have been encouraging and versatile, permitting her to work whereas attending evening courses.
Ann efficiently examined out of many programs and shortly enrolled within the licensed vocational nurse (LVN) program. Regardless of being busy along with her household, working part-time on the furnishings retailer and beginning her new well being care profession as an LVN, she set a aim to attain her Registered Nurse (RN) diploma by her fiftieth birthday. Ann diligently labored towards this aim and in the end obtained her RN diploma.
With the encouragement of a pal, Ann started working at a hospital in Paris, Texas, and gaining proficiency as a registered nurse. Though she appreciated the versatile schedule and expertise in numerous departments, she hoped to ultimately be a part of the very particular subset of oncology nurses and serve sufferers with the identical grace given to her late husband.
Ann’s ardour for most cancers care got here to fruition when she was recruited to Texas Oncology. Ann bonded along with her new skilled household, and she or he has excelled in studying each space of the most cancers heart, progressing right into a senior place, and thriving as an oncology licensed nurse (OCN). Nearly 22 years later, Ann continues working with the Texas Oncology crew as one of many heart’s highest-performing, most well-respected, compassionate nurses.
Her oncology colleagues and suppliers have been greater than keen to share their impressions and suggestions when discussing Ann and her service as a nurse:
“There’s not a extra deserving individual to appoint for the 2025 Extraordinary Healer Award than Ann Foster! … She is fixed. And by that, I imply she offers her all, on a regular basis, and you may rely on it. And it has been this fashion from day one. She brings true empathy and perception into her take care of sufferers. She will be able to run circles round all of us. She is going to assist in each space of the clinic, and more often than not does it earlier than she is even requested. She is a real treasure, and we’re all blessed she is part of our crew and our household.” — Tricia, B.S.N., RN, OCN
“As a co-worker, I look as much as her as a nurse, a mother and an individual. She has a lot information and willingness to share her information. After I was out of the workplace for an prolonged time, she referred to as a number of instances to verify on me. She introduced meals to my home in order that I wouldn’t need to prepare dinner and my children have been fed. I wish to name her ‘Momma Foster.’ She is the one that shall be there for sufferers and her co-workers, whether or not it’s a shoulder to cry on or a wanted kick within the butt. She is a superb individual. I’m privileged to work along with her and name her a pal.” — Savanha, LVN, radiation oncology
“I’m new to Texas Oncology, and Ann has been very useful to me. She could be very hard-working and filled with power! First one right here and normally the final one out. All the time has a smile on her face! The sufferers all love her and have made connections along with her over time. Plus, she additionally makes the very best chocolate cake ever!!” — Nancy, medical assistant
“I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Ann as each a co-worker and a affected person. The primary time I met Ann, I used to be a affected person. From the second she referred to as my identify within the ready room, she was heat, caring and really thorough in her evaluation. She put me comfy and made me really feel like an individual and never simply one other affected person. As a co-worker, I watch her proceed to make our sufferers really feel comfy and cozy each single day. She is the primary to reach and the final to depart. She follows up, and I do know that she won’t solely full a process however exceed what is anticipated. She cares for every one among her sufferers with compassion and sensitivity. Ann doesn’t simply verify on me as a co-worker — she actually cares about how I’m. Her temper is at all times good and secure. She doesn’t overreact or underreact. There’s a quiet calm that she brings to her sufferers and associates. She is educated, has a real present and is past a beneficial member of the crew. We’re so blessed to have her in our lives!” — Ginger, FNP-BC
“As a brand new supplier to the crew, I’ve skilled her help firsthand as I’ve transitioned to a brand new well being care setting. Regardless of a really busy clinic schedule she is at all times approachable and nice and maintains her professionalism. She has a particularly giving coronary heart and it’s evident by the work she does and the eagerness she has for offering superior high quality care to our affected person inhabitants. I really feel honored to be on her crew.” — Teresa, M.S., APRN, AGNP-C, ACHPN
“I’m at all times impressed by how she treats everybody with the identical respect and a constructive perspective. She genuinely embodies the corporate’s spirit and our core values in all the pieces she does and conjures up us all to do the identical! I at all times get pleasure from working with Ann as a result of I do know we are able to depend on one another to get the job finished. She is an knowledgeable within the subject. I at all times get pleasure from studying from her. She is so constructive and has a terrific humorousness! — Vanessa, medical assistant
“I can’t thank Ann sufficient for all her experience and information. She is so keen to assist on each stage. She is the primary one at work and the final one out of the constructing most days. She has helped me immensely over time. She is at all times affected person, variety and keen to show affected person care to new staff.” — Caryn, FNP-C
“I can actually say for the previous 20 years that Ann has labored for me, there may be not a day that goes by that I’m not reminded how grateful I’m to have her on my crew. We’ve got been by means of quite a lot of ups and downs, however the calming presence that has been constant by means of all of it is Ann Foster.” — Trudy, nurse supervisor
Ann has many affected person tales which have touched her coronary heart over time. One notable instance is a highschool pal who got here to the middle for remedy. The affected person’s son-in-law was additionally identified with colon most cancers. The entire household was extraordinarily grateful to have a sort and acquainted face guiding them by means of their most cancers journeys. Ann went above and past to assist make sure the son-in-law survived lengthy sufficient to see his first grandchild. She understands the significance of preserving her sufferers out of the hospital and at dwelling with their family members. Ann values her sufferers’ belief in her nursing care and strives to make every affected person really feel particular. Many individuals in the neighborhood search care on the most cancers heart and already know her from private connections or her earlier profession.
Moreover, Ann nonetheless does the bookkeeping at Texas Furnishings on Saturdays. She is loyal to the native retailer, which has been a pillar for her throughout vital private {and professional} milestones over the previous a number of a long time. Ann doesn’t boast about being the very best oncology nurse. As an alternative, she expresses her gratitude to God for granting her the information and abilities to take care of most cancers sufferers. As a result of she turned a nurse later in life as a second profession, Ann possesses a singular perspective on gratitude. She is grateful for her talents and appreciates the chance to come back to work every day.
Satirically, although she has been nominated for recognition, Ann doesn’t consult with herself as a “healer.” She tells her sufferers that she can’t assure therapeutic; she is aware of that typically a treatment is just not potential. Nonetheless, she assures them that she’s going to help their needs, promote their high quality of life and supply the very best stage of remedy to the very best of her potential.
Ann is really distinctive. In my function, I’ve the chance to satisfy many nurses throughout Texas. Throughout a current website go to to the Paris location, I performed particular person workers rounding periods with all of the members of the nursing companies crew. I usually ask, “Who would you want to acknowledge? Who has helped you in your work or gone above and past for his or her sufferers lately?” I usually acquire the suggestions to share with the managers or to write down thank-you notes to these talked about. Throughout this go to, all of the crew members recounted particular situations the place they felt recognition was deserved, and the identify that got here up most incessantly was Ann Foster. It was clear to me that this nurse deserves greater than only a thank-you notice. After conducting additional interviews and studying extra about Ann’s life story, I really feel compelled to focus on her exemplary service. Ann is very considered a task mannequin for her crew, demonstrating knowledgeable information, an impressive work ethic and provoking qualities. She is beloved by her sufferers for the real kindness and compassion she shows in her every day care. Moreover, her tireless ardour for offering care is clear in her household legacy, as her son accomplished his pharmacy diploma and her daughter has turn out to be an completed nurse practitioner.
I’m very happy with Ann and grateful to know her. Our crew and sufferers are lucky to have the privilege of working along with her and benefiting from all she has contributed to our nursing workers and the most cancers neighborhood. I admire the chance to appoint Ann, and I thanks for contemplating her for the Extraordinary Healer Award for Oncology Nursing.
