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With The Heart of Health series, we’re shining a light on the many dedicated employees, physicians, learners, and volunteers who make Nova Scotia Health such a remarkable place to work and receive care. Today we’re featuring Danielle Worth, registered nurse at the Hematology Clinic located at the QEII’s VG site.
“I was never going to be a nurse,” said Danielle Worth, registered nurse with the Hematology Clinic at the VG site of the QEII. Worth’s mom had cancer when she was a child, so she saw the impact of nursing first-hand. “I loved the VON nurse that worked with us, but I thought, ‘That’s a really hard job. I’m not doing that.’” Worth worked in personal care, in-home palliative care and provided companionship for people with disabilities until she finally realized the inevitable at 28 – she was meant to be a nurse.
When patients are booked for their first hematology appointment, Danielle meets with them to make them comfortable, ask questions and gather important information before they see the doctor. If hematologist Dr. Forward determines they need treatment, “I’m the one who gest them the information they need, gives them their bookings, shows them what has to be done and when it has to be done. I’m their contact going forward and I follow them for years after they finish their treatment.” Worth also provides teaching to patients related to chemotherapy.
What keeps Worth going, even on challenging days?
“I have the best patients ever,” said Worth. “Even when they’re angry or scared, they’re so resilient. It gives me the ability to just keep going – if they can do that, I can do this. They inspire me to continue to do better. If I can make it better for one person for one day, that’s all I need to keep doing it.”
Worth’s patients and their families experience her profound impact. “I met Danielle at the VG Hematology Clinic while taking my father who has stage 4 lymphoma to his first appointment,” explained Kelly Beaudreau. “It was a very scary time for us, and we had just received the news. She was so caring and understanding of our situation. She has helped my father so much over the last year as we fight his lymphoma. She has given us advice over the phone or email to help us through all kinds of issues and always is willing to take the call or answer the email. She has a calming affect with her patients. We have an upcoming appointment at the clinic and my dad is already asking me if she will be there and I'm hoping she is because she makes a hard situation so much better.”
Nursing is as much a calling as it is a career for Worth. “Personally, it fills a hole in my soul. Having been someone who lost someone so young in my life to a health condition, and knowing how that felt, and knowing the influence on me of the people around me…It’s not a profession – it’s just who I am.”
We want to learn and share your stories. What keeps you going, despite challenges? What does working in health and health care mean to you, both personally and professionally? Who is that colleague or teammate that makes going to work easier when things feel hard?
Whether you’ve had a defining moment that reaffirmed your purpose or want to recognize a colleague who embodies the heart of health, share your story with us. Let’s celebrate each other! E-mail: heartofhealth@nshealth.ca