Perspectives

Pricks of Conscience: A Needle-Phobic Patient’s Experience of Compassionate Nursing Care

Charles Roussel

cancer care, oncology nurse, compassion, cancer treatment, nurse–patient relationship
CJON 2018, 22(1), 15-16. DOI: 10.1188/18.CJON.15-16

An oncology nurse’s warmth, humor, and compassionate care have helped even the odds in my wife’s decade-long battle with incurable cancer. Needle phobia and a complex chemotherapy regimen have made for a challenging course of treatment. However, working closely with us, my wife’s care team has given us back the control that can so easily ebb with remission and relapse.

AT A GLANCE

  • My wife’s nursing team has brought personal presence—listening skills, authenticity, awareness, and compassion—to every clinical encounter, helping transform even the most difficult care situations into life-affirming experiences.
  • This very personal and personalized care approach has enabled us to maintain a sense of control in the face of uncertainty, taking away the dread and bringing greater peace of mind.
  • Because of this kindhearted care, my wife has found renewed strength and an enhanced capacity to reach out to her fellow patients and ease their burdens.
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