For patients receiving chemotherapy, sitting in an infusion chair for several hours a week is physically and emotionally challenging.
One ritual marks the end of each session: the removal of the needle from the port—usually in the patient's chest—which is then sealed and covered with an occlusive adhesive bandage.
Seven years ago, Nicole Bell, RN, OCN, oncology nurse at Providence Cancer Institute Newberg Clinic, decided to bring some levity to a patient's day. She put a Barbie bandage over an injection site on his arm, just to make him and his wife smile. He couldn't see it, but his crew at the construction site where he worked as a manager certainly did. The following week, Nicole came prepared with a bandage covered in glitter. "He had a great sense of humor," she said.
Other patients took notice and wanted their own novelty bandage. “I thought it was a fun way to connect with someone going through a really scary time,” Nicole said. “Then, it kind of snowballed.”
Bandages that spark smiles
Now the infusion team in Newberg puts a novelty bandage on nearly every patient, and the patients have come to look forward to it.
Some like to choose their bandage, others like to be surprised. There are hotdog, pickle and bacon bandages for foodies, bandages for animal and flower lovers, and sports fans. On some days, a whimsical unicorn or dinosaur might be what’s needed to bring a smile. “If a patient is going fishing over the weekend, we have a bandage for that,” Nicole said. “It makes them feel cared for.”
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Nicole described how one patient removed her bandage at home and put it on her bedside table so she could track the treatments completed. Another patient stuck her bandages on her bathroom mirror.
The best icebreakers
The infusion team enjoys the bandages nearly as much as the patients do, and they welcome how they’re often conversation starters. Some nurses like to have stickers ready on the tray when a patient arrives at their chair.
“It's a simple way to talk to somebody who you're still getting to know,” Nicole said. “It helps us find out what they’re interested in and opens a door to something that has nothing to do with cancer treatment.”
Supporting small gestures
At first, Nicole was buying the bandages with her own money. As interest in the bandages grew, she turned to crowdfunding on her Facebook page. But even that effort couldn’t keep up with the demand. Now she’s hoping donors will step in to help the program continue.
The need is clear. When visiting nurses from Providence Cancer Institute Westside clinic saw the bandages in Newberg, they wanted to bring the same joy to their own patients. For Nicole, that kind of response is proof that small gestures can make a big impact.
“When patients know they’re coming in for a smile and a surprise, it makes a huge difference in how they feel,” she said.
Find out how you can help put a fun bandage and a smile on Providence Cancer Institute patients at Providence Newberg Health Foundation.
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