Oncology Nurse Jill Winther on 3 Decades of Advocacy and Care

In an interview with CURE, oncology nurse Jill Winther discussed the experiences that have shaped her 35-year career, from her early days caring for leukemia patients to her current work on an oral agent program. Winther has worked across inpatient and outpatient oncology settings, as well as bone marrow transplant units, holding roles ranging from infusion nurse to education to leadership.

Winther, a finalist for the Extraordinary Healer Award, spoke about what drew her to nursing, the meaning behind the phrase "no one fights alone," and why she believes understanding the reasoning behind treatment makes for better patient education. She also addressed the importance of advocacy in oncology nursing, both within the care team and on behalf of patients facing the cost of treatment, and what she hopes patients take away from their relationships with their nurses.

The conversation has been edited for clarity.

CURE: Can you first just introduce yourself?

Winther: My name is Jill Winther. I've been a nurse for 35 years, all in oncology, both inpatient and outpatient, bone marrow transplant. I've held multiple roles, from infusion nurse to education to leadership.

What inspired you to be a nurse?

I think what inspired me to be a nurse is really just wanting to help people. I know that's probably a pretty canned phrase for nurses, but I think it's true. I've truly loved being a nurse, and I've loved being part of the care of the oncology patient. Obviously, I didn't go into nursing set out to enter the field of oncology, but I ended up there almost from the beginning, and obviously there's been something there to keep me there.

What does the phrase "no one fights alone" mean to you as an oncology nurse?

When you get diagnosed with a cancer diagnosis, it's a very lonely experience, despite having very supportive family or a spouse. It's still you, and it's very lonely. So I think it's important that when a patient comes in and they start spending time with nursing, they realize that they have a whole team behind them now. That's something that I really enforce with the patients, that it's not just you now, it's all of us.

Over your 35 years in oncology nursing, what moment has stayed with you the most?

I think one of the moments that has stayed with me is from early on in my career. I was working in an induction unit for leukemics, and I had a young female patient. She had traveled, she wasn't from that state, she was from out of the country, and we were providing care for her. She was engaged, and her fiance was coming to visit, and her hair was falling out. There was a language barrier, but she asked me to shave her head, and then help tie a scarf around her. That's one of the things that has stuck with me, but that's early on in my career, that was a long time ago.

What do patients need most from their oncology nurses, beyond just medical treatment?

The patients need a team to help them. They need human interaction, that relationship building, trust. I think those are the things that they need from us.

What was it like getting that call that you were selected as a finalist for the Extraordinary Healer Award?

Getting that call was kind of amazing. I feel truly blessed. I know my nominator told me she was nominating me, so I was tickled that that was happening, but to actually be one of the finalists has been a blessing.

What does being named an Extraordinary Healer finalist mean to you personally?

Being named an Extraordinary Healer finalist is really a capstone, I think, of my career. I've been a nurse for 35 years, and obviously I'm now leaning towards the end of my career. It's a pretty cool experience, getting nominated for something that I just love to do.

Why is holistic care so important for patients and their families?

I believe that holistic care is super important. I think we in the medical field do very good at taking care of the problem, but we don't always address the things that are going on in your head. There's an article called "Tattoo on the Brain" that I think speaks pretty eloquently to that, that we can fix the cancer or treat the cancer, but we don't always address what's happening, the life changes, the financial toxicity, and then learning to love the person that's looking back at you in the mirror.

You've said it's important for nurses to understand the why behind their practice. Why does that matter in oncology care?

I feel like it's very important for the nurse to understand the why, because if you understand how the cancer is growing, or you understand how the medication is supposed to work within the body, I think it gives you a nice foundation to understand what the side effects are, and also it makes it a lot easier to teach the patient. To put it in layman's terms, we have so many new treatments nowadays. It used to be just chemotherapy, but now we're adding immunotherapy, and it's a whole different side effect profile that follows that. So I think it's important not to just treat them, but to educate them and understand how it's working, and I just think it makes us better nurses.

Can you talk about the importance of advocacy in oncology nursing?

Advocacy in oncology nursing, and really in any nursing role, dealing with patients is very important. Many times patients won't talk to their provider about all the things that are occurring in their lives, but then they'll come back to the infusion room, and the nurse, and they'll be like, "he said this" or "he said that." So there's many times where I go back to the provider and say, "Hey, this is kind of going on too, and what should we do about it?" I think it's important we advocate for, I work on an oral agent program, and some of these drugs are very expensive. So as we advocate with our political leaders, etc., to get things more cost affordable for patients, I think I'm a link for a lot of those things.

You've mentored many nurses throughout your career. What advice would you give to new oncology nurses entering the field?

For new nurses entering the field, I think education is very important to understand the whys, but to really be passionate about what you do. I think one of the nice things about oncology is we are able to develop relationships with patients because we see them over and over and over, and I think that's hugely important. So bring your passion and develop those trusting relationships.

What do you hope patients and caregivers feel after interacting with an oncology nurse?

I hope that patients know that it's going to be okay. They know that we're there to help them, we're just a phone call away. I think we open our arms to them and kind of embrace them and take care of them during their journey.

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