Episode 255: Public Thanks for Deserving Oncology Nurses

Oncology nurses provide remarkable care every day, without even realizing the impact it has on their patients and families. Organizations like the DAISY Foundation provide a meaningful way for patients and nursing peers to recognize and thank the inspiring oncology nurses who’ve gone beyond their typical role. Erica Fischer-Cartlidge, DNP, RN, AOCNS^®, EBP-CH, chief clinical officer at ONS, sat down with ONS member and DAISY Award recipient Laurie Rudolph, BSN, RN, OCN^®, CBCN^®, her nominator, Jamie Stern, RN, BSN, CCRN, and Magnet program manager Kathy Garrison, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, PCCN-K, all at the University of Virginia Health System in Charlottesville, to talk about the importance of gratitude through recognition like DAISY and its effect on nursing well-being and morale. ONS is one of the DAISY Foundation’s Supportive Associations. You can also earn free NCPD contact hours by completing the evaluation we’ve linked in the episode notes.

Music Credit: “Fireflies and Stardust” by Kevin MacLeod

Licensed under Creative Commons by Attribution 3.0

Earn 0.5 contact hours of nursing continuing professional development (NCPD) by listening to the full recording and completing an evaluation at myoutcomes.ons.org by April 14, 2025. The planners and faculty for this episode have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose. ONS is accredited as a provider of NCPD by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

Learning outcome: The learner will report an increase in knowledge related to gratitude and recognition in nursing.

Episode Notes

• Complete this evaluation for free NCPD.
• Nominate a fellow oncology nurse for an ONS award.
• Recognize a nurse through the Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation.
• The DAISY Foundation
• Oncology Nursing Podcast Episode 231: Nurses Thrive in a Healthy Work Environment
• ONS Voice articles:
  • Patients and the Public Recognize and Thank Dedicated Nurses
  • Wrap Up the Year With Reflection and Gratitude
• American Nurses Association: Gratitude Practice for Nurses
• Harvard Business Review: Giving Thanks at Work: An HBR Guide
• Greater Good Magazine: Can Practicing Gratitude Boost Nurses’ Resilience?
• Step Sisters

To discuss the information in this episode with other oncology nurses, visit the ONS Communities.

To provide feedback or otherwise reach ONS about the podcast, email pubONSVoice@ons.org.

Highlights From Today’s Episode

Jamie

“It’s truly inspiring what colleagues do in our field, and sometimes it’s a thankless job. You don’t always see patients from start to finish—you don’t get to celebrate with them. In this case I felt that DAISY was an incredibly rewarding program, and it really is for the exceptional nurse that goes beyond measure.” Timestamp (TS) 06:35

Laurie

“I think the wonderful thing about nursing is that we don’t realize what an impact we have on people’s lives when we’re just doing our day-to-day jobs. We are always striving to provide the best care that we can to every patient and family, but there’s an impact that we don’t really truly understand.” TS 12:55

Kathy

“Our nurses are very eager to recognize their colleagues when they see something, and their colleague would be like, ‘No, no. I’m just doing my job.’ But sometimes they’re doing above and beyond of what is expected and normal. We do have a lot of celebration. We find its very helpful to keep morale and engagement up.” TS 16:02

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