Oncology nurse practitioner treats patients like family
TEXARKANA, Ark. — Oncology nurse practitioner Yolanda Bone said she provides support in managing symptoms and emotions of all of her patients.
“Many women (with ovarian cancer) feel like, ‘I don’t know how this happened,’” Bone said. “Maybe they just felt they were bloated. Maybe they had some abdominal problems, and then now all of a sudden they’re sitting in a chemo chair.”
Bone said the patients who come to CHRISTUS St. Michael’s Oncology Center are often underserved and come in with a later stage of cancer.
“My job and my role is to let them know that no, it’s not over; we do have some treatment options for you, and you have to take it day by day,” Bone said.
Bone said it is often patients’ spirit or faith that shows how rich they are.
“We become very close to these patients; we’re a family,” Bone said.
Bone described how some of the patients have goals to meet before they have to switch to hospice care, such as attending a daughter’s wedding or a grandchild’s graduation.
“We just gear up as a team to manage their symptoms to get them to their goal,” Bone said. “It’s really a team effort here, and the most important person on that team is the patient.”
Bone has been a nurse since 1987. She started her education to become a nurse practitioner after working 20 years as a registered nurse.
“The clinic I was working in had closed, and so I was looking for another job and I felt called to interview for the position here at the cancer center — and I’ve been here ever since,” Bone said.
Bone said cancer treatment has come a long way.
“Patients have improved quality of life and time, more time than they did in the past,” Bone said. “I’ve seen a tremendous amount of change in the past eight years that I’ve been here, where a Stage 4 patient is given more time than when I first started because of the different medications, immunotherapy, targeted therapy with the ability to use radiation in creative ways.”
Bone said the key to her job is taking it day by day.
“We’re getting better at this,” Bone said.