1. Mary A. Chenery NSG 463 – Professional Role Transition James Madison University – Fall 2014

2. * Tell the World about nursing, more to the point, my nursing * Creatively present this assignment in a way that is true to how I feel about oncology

3. * Winchester Star has a word limit for it’s letters to the editor * Tell the World in less than 200 words what I feel is important about nursing * Stepping outside my box, having never written a letter to the editor before

4. * Winchester Medical Center is currently raising funds to build a cancer center on the campus * This state of the art facility would allow patients to stay close to home, instead of traveling to UVA, Fairfax or Johns Hopkins * I believe if patients are treated closer to home, they will benefit from the support of their familial and community networks * If published, hopefully my simple 197 words will draw positive attention to the project and get people involved

5. * I am a nurse. I work in oncology. I assist people in the treatment of one of the most frightening diseases – cancer. I have patients with lung cancer, thyroid cancer, breast cancer, and brain cancer. I love being an oncology nurse, because I gain much more from my patients than they gain from me. The people I serve are hopeful, joyful, and tenacious. They almost always find something to laugh about, and they are spiritual. My patients could teach most of us about life, what is important, what is urgent, what is meaningful, and what we don’t have time to dwell on. They know their priorities, and act as if every moment counts. Unlike most of us, they don’t get swept away in the rush of a day, they slow down, they take a breath, and they often believe we are all connected, and they are right about this. In their treatment, we are all connected – the community, the family, the doctors, the aides, the maintenance workers, and yes, the nurses. It is one big web of life that we work to keep thriving, and at the end of the journey, we pause together to say good-bye. * Submitted to the Editor Winchester Star