It is a beautiful spring day in Portland and my seven-year-old daughter is swinging on the monkey bars. Next thing I know, the kid she befriended has fallen off the monkey bars and scraped his knee. She huddles next to her new friend and I hear her calmly exclaim, “It’s okay my mom’s a nurse, she can help!”

While cruising 36,000 feet in the air above the clouds, a passenger en route to warm, sunny Florida begins to experience chest discomfort. The flight attendant comes over the intercom: “Attention all passengers, if there is anyone on board with medical training such as a doctor or nurse, please raise your hand.” Two nurses aboard confidently raise their hands, prepared to assist in any way they can.

Sunday afternoon I am running errands preparing for the work week ahead and my phone rings. A sorority sister from college I have not caught up with in years says the words I dread to hear: “I have recently been diagnosed with breast cancer. I know you work as an oncology nurse, and I was hoping we could chat.”

The world needs and seeks out nurses in so many facets of life that extend far beyond hospital or medical facility doors. Being a nurse is far more than just a job or a career choice. Nurses are the hands, hope, and compassion that hold healthcare together especially during moments of uncertainty. I have witnessed nurses lean into precarious situations with vulnerable patients and help lighten the burden a cancer diagnosis carries. Nurses have the unique ability to manage the extreme pressures of holding someone’s life in their hands and while still being able to provide moments of comfort, joy, and even laughter to people in their care.

When I tell people I am an oncology nurse the response is almost universal: “Wow, that must be so hard!” While yes, I would be lying if I did not say there are many days of quiet rides home from work reflecting on a tough day, there are also innumerable days of immense joy and comradery shared between oncology nurses and their patients.

Nurses at work at the New England Cancer Specialists’ offices in Scarborough. Image courtesy NECS

Working as an oncology nurse for the past 10 years I am constantly in awe of my nursing colleagues, strength and dedication that extends far beyond what their job description entails. The special and heartfelt moments I have seen oncology nurses I work with make possible are simply awe-inspiring. I have seen an oncology nurse arrange a small wedding ceremony in the office conference room.

It was the patient’s dying wish to get married to her life-long partner and she could not bear the thought of doing so without having her oncology team—her second family—standing there with her. I have seen touching photos of oncology nurses standing at a marathon finish line with signs cheering on a former chemotherapy patient, now cancer survivor, as they cross the line.

There are not enough words to adequately describe how special the nurses I work with every day at New England Cancer Specialists (NECS) are. Managing a highly immunocompromised patient population during a pandemic has been a feat all of its own but our nurses have demonstrated admirable perseverance. Many of our patients often say to our nurses things such as, “I will never be able to properly thank you for all you have done for me and my family during my cancer journey.”

I am delighted to announce that NECS has partnered with the Daisy Foundation to celebrate how truly inspiring our nurses are. Starting this month, NECS patients will be able to share their heartfelt stories about NECS nurses who have helped them on their cancer journey. NECS will then recognize a Daisy Award winner each May during Nurses Week. The Daisy Award is a huge accolade and testament to the exceptional nurses we have at our organization.

Extending beyond nursing week, all I ask is that if you know a nurse, love a nurse, or encounter a nurse in your journey of life, please be sure to tell that nurse a simple thank you as even an ounce of gratitude can make a world of difference.