When I was about 4-years-old, I knew I wanted to be a nurse. My grandmother was a licensed practical nurse, and she had a significant influence on my career. I often flipped through her nursing textbooks and marveled over all the fascinating photos and medical images.
Nursing
In honor of Mother's Day we share the story of RN Corry Catalano, and the impact her hard work and passion for nursing had on her children.
From the time I was a little girl I always wanted to be a nurse, but sometimes things don’t always work out the way you imagine. I worked as a medical secretary at a different hospital doing insurance billing for some time before realizing that, if I was truly going to be happy, I needed to follow my passion.
For more than a decade, I was a secretary at Roswell Park. I loved my job but knew I wanted more. I especially felt a passion for interacting with patients. When I witnessed everything they were going through, I felt a desire to be by their side during their journey.
Roswell Park's new Chief Nursing Officer says she's motivated every day by the belief that "in my lifetime we will continue to see advances in more cures for cancer."
When patients and caregivers learn what the OCN credential means, I hope that it gives them added confidence that their nursing staff is very knowledgeable in their care.
I am a voice for patients who are burdened by hospital bills, underinsured or struggling with complex medical decisions. I act as an advocate to help them get the medication, treatment and coverage they need. I fight through insurance and legislative red tape to break down financial barriers. I spend days, months and sometimes years working with a patient until all of their medical needs are met.
Late in 2015, Roswell Park and the Western New York nursing community lost a true pioneer. Eva Noles, the first African American woman to train and graduate as a registered nurse in Buffalo, died on December 2, 2015 at the age of 96.
It’s a familiar refrain among nurses, and one that rings especially true for me: “I knew that I wanted to be a nurse as far back as I can remember.”
Over the years, I’ve witnessed my nursing colleagues at Roswell Park receive well-deserved recognition and acclaim in the form of the DAISY Award. I am very proud to now call myself a DAISY Award recipient — however I was not nominated by one of my patients.
At Roswell Park, our entire nursing staff receives frequent, well-deserved recognition for providing compassionate care to our patients. However, during my nine months working in the RPCI Intensive Care Unit, I’ve learned that families and caregivers are also very much in need of empathy and support.
As a chemo-infusion nurse at Roswell Park’s Amherst Center, I have been fortunate enough to build meaningful relationships with some truly inspiring people. The work of my colleagues and strength of our patients never ceases to amaze me.