Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a tough diagnosis for anyone to hear – particularly a parent. A hereditary disease that affects the functioning of the exocrine glands, cystic fibrosis causes a buildup of thick mucus that clogs the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts.
It’s an incurable disease and usually worsens over time. Average life expectancy for those diagnosed with CF is the mid- to late 30s, according to WebMD.
Treatment often consists of medicines and a grueling regimen of postural draining and chest percussion that helps patients cough up mucus from the lungs. Treating CF patients takes more than the clinical side of nursing; it also requires having a positive attitude that helps inspire them, said Janet Sanders of Tucker.
Sanders knows well how much difference a great nurse can make. Her daughter, Sarah Scott, 16, has cystic fibrosis and has been a patient at Emory Cystic Fibrosis Center in Atlanta for more than 9 years.
It’s there where Sanders and her daughter, a student at The Westminster Schools, met Renee Hagan, pediatric program nurse coordinator at the center. Hagan, RN, BSN, has worked at Emory since she graduated from nursing school nine years ago and has been in her current role for three years.
Sanders credits Hagan with exemplary dedication and peerless positivity. Here’s what Sanders wrote in her nomination:
“Renee has one of those completely thankless jobs. She dedicates her life to helping those she knows will not grow old. Renee does it day in and day out selflessly.
“She has been a part of the CF community for the full 9 years my daughter has been treated at the [Emory] CF Center. Renee makes the lives of her patients and their families better. Her upbeat positive outlook serves as inspiration to all of her patients.
“She goes above and beyond every day to make sure that her kids get the best she has to offer. Her care and concern come through all the time — but most especially when the kids are sick and miserable — and the kids know she will always have a smile for them.
“She has an amazing way of putting parents at ease — no easy task when the reality of this disease means a much-shortened life span. She always makes the parents and patients feel as though they are special.”
Each month, we’ll bring you a mini-profile of one of the special nurses nominated for the sixth annual ajcjobs Nursing Excellence Awards, which will be awarded on May 4, 2011. If you want to nominate a deserving nurse for the award, go to www.ajc.com/go/celebratingnurses.
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