What is the Extraordinary Healer Award?

Each year CURE gives readers a unique opportunity to honor an oncology nurse through the Extraordinary Healer Award for Oncology Nursing, describing the compassion, expertise, and helpfulness that a special oncology nurse has exhibited.

It’s difficult to pinpoint one story that captures the peaceful spirit of Nurse Nadine Robinson.

New York City is renown for its chaotic atmosphere, and on the inpatient oncology unit of Presbyterian Columbia University Medical Center, the harried undercurrent is palpable. Nadine is renowned for her philosophy of caring for the patient and their family holistically through quality of care, safety, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

In the complicated ever changing world of oncology nursing, where administering toxic medication is a daily occurrence, and preventing life threatening complications and side effects is routine, it might be difficult to imagine a more stressful working environment. 

Watching Nadine Robinson throughout a 12 hour shift is nothing short of amazing. She has had the opportunity to mentor and orient many nurses through her tenure, and all the nurses can attest to the simple fact that Nadine has never lost her coolShe is patient and teaches in a calm and relaxed manner, always encouraging questions.  

Nurses can attest to the fact that Nadine is always available for questions no matter how or when. There was one patient, a 21 year old woman who was newly diagnosed with Melanoma on her scalp that had spread to her liver. 

And she had just given birth to a a full term healthy baby girl. The couple was young and scared and the patient was in a great deal of pain. This was the first hospital experience for this young family in New York, and they were concerned that in a large academic center their care would be impersonal. 

Nadine ntroduced herself as the primary nurse and dispelled all those notions. Nadine first addressed the young woman's pain and made her feel comfortable and safe. She then explained the treatment plan and what to expect, checking to make sure that they understood the plan. Additionally she made special arraignments to allow for the baby to visit with her mother. Nadine then called the children’s hospital and personally picked up a breast pump for the young mother, so that she would not be in any additional pain from the sudden weaning of her baby. This caring and commitment made all the difference to this patient.

Nadine knew that  receiving chemotherapy meant she would no longer be able to breastfeed her baby. She anticipated her needs and reassured the patient that she would assist her in any way that possibly could. This young couple trusted the nursing knowledge that Nadine displayed, and the fact that they could count on this special nurse to assist them. 

Upon discharge, this patient and her husband asked me to give a special message to Nadine; saying “I will never forget Nadine; she helped us make it through the worst experience of our lives.” 

This distinguishes Nadine Robinson as superior Nurse and outstanding in nursing practice. Teaching is complex and complicated within the realm of patients with a diagnosis of cancer. For instance, one Monday morning Nadine accepted an admission ofa 31-year-old student in his senior year at the university for television and journalism.  

He had recently been diagnosed with Lymphoma, and he was being admitted for his first dose of chemotherapy. Nadine explained the procedure to this young man and, in a most respectful and professional manner, asked him if prior to admission anyone had addressed the possibility of him becoming sterile due to the high dose and combination of chemotherapy. 

This patient replied that yes someone had addressed this issue with him and he had an address of a “bank” to send "the donation" to; however he was scared and unsure of the procedure.

Nadine compassionately explained to him in a no nonsense matter- of -act manner, that this was customary for young men on this particular chemotherapy regimen. She then called the admitting office to allow for another patient booked to that same room to be transferred to another room to allow for his privacy. 

Nadine closed the door and then took a brown box from the utility room so that they could store the sperm in the igloo cooler to spare this young man from any embarrassment he might feel- she assured this young man to not be embarrassed. 

Later when the patient’s mother came to visit, she was so grateful for the compassion, and professionalism displayed. 

She said “you have helped my son through a most traumatic and emotionally draining experience. This could have been embarrassing; however it was presented as routine. This made all the difference in the world to my son.” 

Additionally this young man had limited resources and was being discharged with a DVT prophylaxis, of Lovenox injection. Nadine patiently taught him how to administer his own injection,  and at discharge he was joking that he could administer all the Lovenox shots for the entire oncology unit! 

Furthermore Nadine made arrangements with the Lymphoma foundation for complimentary medications to assist in augmenting the cost of this patient’s expensive medication! This young man came to visit the unit last Christmas and Nadine wondered if he was back for another treatment. He casually responded that he was not here for treatment, but he had come back to the hospital to personally deliver a Christmas card for Nadine. 

Another time, during an ordinary weekend on the oncology unit with the usual influx of visitors coming and going, Patients and their families crowded the rooms with food, flowers and fanfare. It seemed as if everyone had a visitor, except Ms. R. a feisty ninty year old lady. She had no visitors, so I stopped in to say hello.

I asked her how she was doing and she said to me, “I am doing just fine… I have my nurse, she is better than any medicine, she really loves me.” Your nurse ‘Loves you’ is all I could ask? "Yes," she said. Ms. R. had just finished her cycle of chemo treatment and did not have an appetite for two weeks; she was feeling weak and tired. Sunday morning she had completed her last cycle of chemo and was relieved that she had reached this point. Nadine checked in on her in the morning and asked her quite casually what her needs were for the day. Ms. R told me she said half jokingly,  “I could really use a Starbucks coffee and carrot muffin.” The next time she saw her nurse, she was holding a Starbucks coffee and carrot muffin! With her peaceful aura and giving spirit (and a coffee and muffin) she made her patient feel loved! 

This displays the powerful impact of Nadine in her role as a Nurse. Nadine regularly goes above and beyond the call of her duties for all her patients. She truly understands what caring for a person is, she lives this mantra daily; she displays compassion collegiality and kindness, because it’s the little things that often mean the most. Nadine has empowered me to reignite the feeling of why I do this work. It takes a special person to be an oncology nurse, and one day I will be needing nurses to take care of me since I was recently diagnosed with squamous cell cancer. I now know first hand what it's like to be a patient. As a bedside oncology nurse I have had the honor to work with and am now being cared for by some exceptional nurses, Nadine is one of those nurses. 

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