Page 29 - Healthcare Heroes 2025

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A P R O G R A M O F B U S I N E S S W E S T & H E A L T H C A R E N E W S
“It’s what
I would call
unconditional
caring — she’s
universally
kind,
professional,
and thorough
with everyone.
And patients
get it; they
gravitate
toward her.”
And as she talked about her work, she said it requires
several qualities and skill sets, if you will, including
compassion and empathy, the ability to listen, and the
willingness to be honest with patients and not create
unrealistic expectations.
“We tell them the truth, but we tell them both sides,” she
explained. “We don’t just tell them the bad things; we’ll tell
them the story of that one patient that did well and got to do
things.”
Overall, Leonard said she and other nurses in medical
oncology form strong bonds with patients, bonds that explain
the piles of letters she’s received from patients and family
members thanking her for all she does, as well as the myriad
prayer cards from the funerals of patients that she has
attended.
“If oncology is your calling and it’s something you’re able
to do, it is very rewarding,” she said, while acknowledging
that sometimes, visits to the infusion room stop not because
the treatments are working, but because they are not, and
there are no more options.
“There are often tears because we’re human,” she
said. “And I believe that, as nurses and as a profession,
as oncology nurses, it’s important that we’re able to
acknowledge those feelings as well. It’s OK to cry with a patient; it’s
OK to let them verbalize to you that nothing else is working and it’s
time for the next step in their life.
“I’ve had many conversations over the years,” she went on. “A lot
of it is listening, but a lot of it also is acknowledging their emotions,
and often these patients will take the lead and talk and tell you that
they’re OK with it, they understand, and they know that they did
everything they could.
“They’ll express to you their wishes ... they want to be comfortable;
they want to die at home, or ‘oh my gosh, I do not want to die at
home,’” she continued. “You work with the patients to help them
Cindy Leonard (right) with team members at the Sister Caritas
Cancer Center.
express what their wishes are.”
Thus, listening is perhaps the most important skill in the cancer
center, and it’s one of many that sets Leonard apart.
All this explains why some people are sad when their visits to the
infusion room come to an end. But mostly, it explains why Leonard is
a Healthcare Hero. BW
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