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Mary Scott, RN
Oncology
 "I
think this is my mission. I think this is what I was meant to do."
"Nursing was just something I always wanted to do. I don’t remember
wanting to do anything else. I think my Mom influenced me. She was a home
health aide.
I was a PCA for 21 years before becoming a nurse. I would encourage that
very much for nursing students because I think it gives you a better idea
of what it is and helps you understand how things work. Even if it’s
just a summer, or coming back every summer and working as a PCA.
When I was a PCA, my head nurse said, ‘You need to go to school.’
I had been thinking about it, but it wasn’t until my third child
went to kindergarten that I felt I could do it. Then I got into a weekend
program that was just every other weekend, so that made it possible to
do it. Plus to get a BSN, I thought that was really neat.
I enjoy taking care of people, making them feel better. Even if it’s
just a little something, if I adjust a pillow or something. That just
makes me feel good.
 I
talk with my patients and let them know what I’m doing, what I’m
giving them. They like that. I think that makes the patient feel more
comfortable. One patient who was getting chemo said, ‘Am I getting
Mary tonight?’ That makes me feel good. We try to keep the same patients
the whole time we’re on so the patients get used to one nurse. They
get to know us, and we get to know them – from when they’re
first diagnosed to when they go into remission or pass on. So we’re
like a second family to them.
When someone is actively dying, I try to get their family pretty comfortable
and attend to the family’s needs as well as the patient’s needs.
I tell them that the patient can hear them and that it’s ok to talk
to Mom; it’s ok to tell them to let go.
It just makes me feel good to know that I was there to help them get through
that.
 Doing
this makes me feel good, no matter how busy or how stressed I get. I still
come back. I must be crazy because I enjoy doing this. I really enjoy
doing this."
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