Myra Escudero, MSN, RN
J. Thomas, MD, received a diagnosis of multiple myeloma at a particularly stressful time in his life. He had recently lost a sibling with whom he was very close, and, as a consequence, had just became the primary caregiver for his elderly parents. Returning to the New York area after many years overseas, specifically to assist in his parents’ care, he was very busy readjusting to life back in the United States and a new and intense job in medical research. “It was not an easy time for me,” he says.
A little anxious for his first outpatient chemotherapy session in fall 2019, Dr. Thomas still remembers when Myra Escudero, MSN, RN, a nurse at the Ruttenberg Treatment Center of The Tisch Cancer Institute, entered the room, smiled, and introduced herself as his oncology nurse for the day. “I knew that I was only one of her many patients, but she made me feel as though I had her full attention and care. Thanks to her kind demeanor and calming voice, I was suddenly able to turn off my computer, my phone and, most importantly, all of the stressful thoughts that were spinning around in my head and was able to focus on the moment,” he recounts. “She took the time to learn about me, my background and concerns. She patiently explained the procedure for the day. Working in the medical field, I have seen many nurses in action, but Myra was particularly outstanding. One moment, she was very professionally following a meticulous medications preparation protocol, the next moment she was focused on putting me at ease, and not just this one time. Every time I came for therapy, even when other oncology nurses were assigned to me, she would check in with me and make sure that I was doing OK. Myra was my guardian angel.”
Myra is considered an outstanding nurse by her colleagues as well as her patients. “Myra is a superb model of compassionate care. We are so proud that she was recognized at the 2023 Oncology Nursing Society Congress as an Extraordinary Healer nominee,” says Miwa Saito, MSN, RN, OCN, Director of Nursing for Outpatient Oncology Infusion Services and Therapeutic Infusion at The Mount Sinai Hospital and Mount Sinai Queens.
Myra does not see oncology nursing as a job, but as a service to which she is dedicated. “In my role, it is so important for me to give my patients support and information about the treatment they will receive throughout their protocol. Most of my patients appreciate having someone to listen to their concerns; a cancer diagnosis and subsequent treatment is tough. Dr. Thomas became a friend, as do all the patients that I care for. It means a lot to me to help someone during a difficult time of their life.”