This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
In my nursing career I have worked at many hospitals — from Hopkins to UCSF to small community hospitals. When I came to the Huntsman Cancer Institute as an infusion nurse, I didn't think it would be for very long. How could being a chemotherapy nurse not be depressing?
Instead, I found a place of love, hope and support for patients as well as staff. A place where patients have distilled what is important to them as they let the rest go. Eight years later I'm still there. The culture of the Huntsman institute is strikingly different from any place I have been. From the top to the bottom, I know I could ask for help and receive it without hesitation.
One late evening I had a patient who was feeling quite ill and needed a wheelchair. I told his family to wait while I ran to get it. A custodian nearby heard me and said, "You stay with him while I go get you one." I could continue listing experiences such as this.
Frequently patients and family members ask if there is special training or a test for those to be hired because they feel a palpable difference in the culture.
My biggest concern regarding the recent turmoil is that this will in some way alter this culture. I know other patients treated at equivalent centers who feel as if it is a conveyor belt. I never want to hear that of the Huntsman institute, as this would break my heart.
The culture of an institution flows from the top down and back up again. I am very saddened by recent decisions.
Cyd McLaren
Cottonwood Heights