Perspectives

Lifelong Impression: Remembering One of Our Own During the Holiday Season

Mai-Fung Ho-Law

mentor, oncology nurse, grief, death and dying, nurse–patient relationship
CJON 2017, 21(6), 657-658. DOI: 10.1188/17.CJON.657-658

In life, meeting someone who truly possesses the gift of teaching is a blessing. As an exceptional mentor and role model, this person will inspire us to be the best that we can be and make us want to be better human beings. As oncology nurses, we have the honor of caring for patients who have been devastated by the diagnosis of cancer. Establishing deep connections with some of these patients will enrich and give more meaning to our own lives.

AT A GLANCE

  • A holistic approach is integral in helping to focus the mind so that patients with cancer can have better control of their emotional state, thereby improving their physical health.
  • Healthcare professionals must develop the skill of active listening with empathy when engaging with their patients; this helps validate patients’ emotions and perceptions during their cancer diagnosis and treatment and at the end of life.
  • A cancer diagnosis triggers a wide range of emotions, and, oftentimes, they all can occur simultaneously.
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