Susan Ok. Bohnenkamp, an oncology scientific nurse specialists, was nominated for the 2024 Extraordinary Healer award for her dedication to caring for sufferers.
On the coronary heart of each distinctive nurse is an unwavering dedication to compassion. Within the case of our exemplary oncology scientific nurse specialist Susan Ok. Bohnenkamp, compassion isn’t just a top quality however a tenet that shapes her interactions with sufferers and their households. Strolling into the oncology unit, one can instantly sense the nice and cozy and empathetic environment that Susie creates.
Susie’s compassion is obvious within the light contact of her hand as she comforts a frightened affected person awaiting surgical procedure. She takes the time to sit down with every affected person, listening to their fears, hopes and goals. Within the oncology unit, the place feelings typically run excessive, Susie’s capability to empathize with the struggles of these battling most cancers transforms routine medical care into deeply private and significant moments.
Whereas compassion kinds the muse of Susie’s nursing follow, her experience in oncology nursing stands as a testomony to years of devoted training and expertise. Susie’s journey within the subject started with a profound dedication to staying abreast of the newest developments in most cancers care. Her steady pursuit of information {and professional} growth has geared up her with a complete understanding of the complexities surrounding oncology. From understanding the intricacies of various most cancers varieties to mastering the nuances of administering cutting-edge therapies, Susie’s experience is a useful asset to each her colleagues and sufferers. When confronted with the daunting activity of explaining a fancy prognosis to a affected person, Susie’s capability to translate medical jargon into understandable language displays not solely her depth of information but additionally her dedication to empowering sufferers with data.
Within the often-overwhelming journey of most cancers therapy, the position of a useful nurse can’t be overstated. Susie goes above and past the decision of responsibility to make sure that her sufferers obtain not solely glorious medical care but additionally the required help to navigate the challenges of their sickness. Whether or not it’s aiding a affected person in understanding their insurance coverage protection or coordinating with help teams, Susie’s helpfulness extends far past the confines of her job description.
Susie’s dedication to being useful isn’t restricted to the scientific setting. She actively engages in neighborhood outreach packages, organizing most cancers consciousness campaigns and help occasions. Her proactive strategy to addressing the holistic wants of her sufferers exemplifies the idea that true nursing extends past the hospital partitions. Her position is hospital-based, however she willingly travels to the oncology clinic to work with sufferers and nurses within the ambulatory care setting, understanding the complete care continuum.
There are various examples of how Susie has contributed to the oncology nursing career as a scientific skilled and healer. Susie serves as a mentor to direct care nurses for evidence-based follow. Two latest initiatives embody implementing an Enhanced Restoration After Surgical procedure (ERAS) protocol for gynecology – oncology sufferers and use of Sea Bands to cut back post-operative nausea and vomiting on this identical inhabitants.
She has organized oncology conferences for nursing workers and interprofessional colleagues. She has printed extensively and served on the editorial board for the MedSurg Nursing Journal – authoring essential oncology subjects for medical-surgical nurses. Susie was instrumental in organizing a hospital-based journal membership to incorporate frontline oncology nurses, resident and attending physicians.
An attending doctor writes, “Once I joined the Most cancers Heart and commenced to work at UMC [as it was known then] in 2004, nearly from the primary day I acknowledged a treasure in Susie Bohnenkamp. I used to be advised she would maintain me, and he or she actually did! She had a senior nurse educator position within the hospital, and devoted her time to 2 to 3 specialties, together with Gynecologic Oncology. She rounded with me one to 1, introducing me to the scientific ropes and connections I wanted to have on the hospital with a view to guarantee our sufferers received the very best care. She was a part of the gyn oncology scientific inpatient crew, which included the attending surgeons, visiting fellows, residents and college students.
“She supported the entire crew along with her distinctive expertise and connections. She functioned very similar to a hands-on navigator for our inpatients — they usually benefited from the various companies she urged and carried out together with wound care, case administration, social work, ache service, palliative care and clergy. She had connections to acquire fast service, e.g., emergency blood attracts, imaging, pharmacy. She did hands-on educating or administration for the sufferers on many points.
“She additionally liaised and taught the nursing workers on the ground concerning particular wants of the sufferers. She was the go-to particular person, as she knew who the very best particular person within the hospital was to resolve the necessity of the second. I used to be related to some people [such as], as an illustration, a senior pharmacist, who supported me each clinically and in analysis investigation of a fancy and severe hypersensitivity subject.
“Susie cares deeply about high quality of care and affected person security. She assesses sufferers for [the] capability to go dwelling and orders the units required to make sure this, and finds options for transportation, when the usual companies should not obtainable. She ensures that new requirements are recognized and utilized for every affected person.
“Susie is a pure and enthusiastic chief, well-liked and revered. When three specialties have been grouped collectively on one unit, she helped carry collectively the nurses with the groups, to the purpose she and a few nurse leaders joined the gynecologic oncology school in our month-to-month journal golf equipment. The residents and nurses every introduced a paper on the topic at hand, and there can be dialogue.
“Generally, this led to an inpatient analysis undertaking, which Susie would turn into the primary one who drafted the design and carried out the undertaking, which might contain bringing all of the nurses and workers on the ground on board and enthusiastic concerning the aim. She led a number of such tasks efficiently, resulting in publications.
“Susie is a part of our crew, and all the college depend upon her, as I do. She mourned the passing of our senior gynecologic oncologist and helped our committee honor him in a number of main methods. She then devoted and ran a symposium [dedicated] to him, entitled Girls’s Most cancers Symposium, supported by the Southern Arizona Oncology Nursing Society.”
A second attending doctor writes, “Susie has been an EXCELLENT colleague and good friend who has been a supply of help for me and the college on a regular basis I’ve recognized her. Susie is one probably the most devoted and hardworking individuals I’ve had the pleasure of working with at our hospital. She may be very compassionate when talking with sufferers, and he or she readily steps in to assist when surprising points come up. She is the final word crew participant who performs her duties with diligence and optimistic angle, and everybody round her is instantly uplifted given her contagious and optimistic angle.
“With out exception, Susie is a reliable, personable and compassionate supply of energy on the surgical wards. All my sufferers are notably impressed along with her professionalism and care. She shows a outstanding degree of empathy to each affected person that’s typically absent in giant establishments. On a private word, I’m all the time completely happy after I work together with Susie, as she is all the time so approachable and pleasant and doesn’t get flustered with any complicated affected person situations that we frequently see in healthcare. I strongly consider Susie Bohnenkamp is an especially beneficial asset to our division.”
One colleague notes how Susie supported her this previous fall, “My 30-year-old son, who’s a paramedic, was not too long ago recognized with thyroid most cancers. I jumped right into a literature search however knew that after connecting my son to a surgical oncologist, my subsequent name can be to Susie. Her a few years in oncology nursing qualify her as an skilled. After first calming my nerves, she assured me that we have been following all the suitable steps to attach my son to the very best care.
“On the day of surgical procedure, she requested me to textual content her after we have been in pre-op, which I did. Though we had a big group of household there that day, Susie got here to the pre-op space along with her laptop computer prepared and prepared to stick with me for help in the course of the surgical procedure whereas she labored. I knew she was busy, so I handed on the provide. She adopted up with me that night time and the subsequent day to make sure all had gone in response to plan. He wasn’t even one in every of her sufferers. It’s that degree of dedication to sufferers and household that makes her stand head and shoulders above others.”
One other colleague shared a narrative from this previous summer season, “My husband was hospitalized with a sodium of 101, had a seizure, which was handled as a stroke and he then coded. Susie was there when it occurred. The nurse assigned to him in neuro ICU was younger, pregnant and unclear what to do when it occurred.
“Susie jumped into motion, and I consider she saved his life. She’s the one who turned him on his aspect and advised the nurse to name the code. I don’t bear in mind a lot after that aside from her wrapping her arms round me saying, ‘Let’s get out of right here and allow them to work.’ I’ve labored along with her (Susie) for 37 years. I’ve by no means recognized her to be lower than a unprecedented healer. Her plate might be so full, however she’s going to add extra to it to assist.”
Within the symphony of healthcare, the exemplary oncology nurse, Susie Bohnenkamp, emerges as a virtuoso, seamlessly mixing compassion, experience and helpfulness right into a harmonious melody. Her affect extends past the fast realms of affected person care, leaving an indelible mark on the lives of these she serves.
As we rejoice her 37-year anniversary within the noble career of nursing, Susie stands as a shining instance of the transformative energy of a nurse who embodies the core values of healthcare — a beacon of compassion, a reservoir of experience and a pillar of unwavering helpfulness.
For these of us who’ve the distinction to work with Susie every day, it’s our hope that she shall be chosen because the winner of the 2024 Extraordinary Healer Award.
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