DOCTORS AND NURSES
 by Connie Koons, RN II, BSN, PCF
My name is Connie Koons and I am one of the charge nurses on the Blood and Marrow Transplant Unit at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. I have been a nurse there for the past 12 years, and this is the last place I ever thought I’d be working. There was no way I was going to take care of cancer patients who die. And for the most part, I was right! Childhood cancer is not a death sentence anymore. Most of the children we care for are cured.
I have worked in the Oncology/Blood and Marrow Transplant field now for 11 years, and I would not have it any other way. I thoroughly enjoy the patients and the families I work with. It is very rewarding to educate them! We treat the entire family, not just the sick child. Children are diagnosed with an illness, and we then teach them and their parents how to take care of their health in a new way. We teach them about the disease, medications, and how to manage the central line used for medication administration. We help with blood work and knowledge on when to call the doctors and when to return to the hospital, just to name a few points.
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| In this unit, students will identify and expand his or her cultural awareness, investigate the origins of beliefs, practices, or traditions among persons in the student’s cultural community, and research, develop, and participate in occasions for sharing culturally relevant information to the medical community. |
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| In this unit, students will learn about the process to follow to arrange a job shadowing experience and about a typical day in the life of a medical professional. Students will view the unit film clip to learn about the impact of health professionals on the lives of families experiencing pediatric cancer. |
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I would have to say I have experienced every emotion possible while caring for the patients and families in our hospital. There are days when I have sat with parents and cried with them as their child was dying. And there are days that we celebrate the completion of treatment. Life as a nurse goes full circle.
I have become very close to many of my patients. We see these patients for long periods of time. Some patients are in for a few days every couple of weeks for six months to a year, if not longer. And some are in for weeks to months at a time.
No two patients are the same. I think that is the part I like the most. Everyone is different and everyone responds differently to what life deals them. Some make the most of it and others have a very hard time coping.
I know that what I do makes a difference. I offer my knowledge and expertise to every family that comes in the door. If I can help one child or one parent to better understand, then I have done my job. It is emotional and hard some days, but seeing the smiles on the patients’ faces when they get good news or seeing the patient years after therapy has completed, makes every minute worthwhile.
If you want to make a difference in others’ lives, then medicine
is the field for you. There are many areas in the medical profession to choose from, and they all provide opportunities for you to help others.
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