As I reflect on my year at Life with Cancer as a Counseling Intern, I am moved by the number of incredible individuals I met through interactions with patients, family members, and LWC staff. I feel both honored and blessed to have been a support to patients, as well as having been part of the LWC “team”.
I began the year filled with both excitement and anxiety…anticipating all the new experiences and challenges the year would bring. My previous internship had been on an oncology unit of an urban hospital. While I gained a tremendous amount of knowledge at this placement, I knew Life with Cancer’s mission of improving the quality of life of those affected by cancer through education and counseling support was unique. This important aspect of holistic care is lacking in so many healthcare settings due to the adopted case management model. I felt privileged to have joined an organization that recognized those educational and emotional needs. My role as a LWC Counseling Intern offered me the opportunity to provide continuity of care through an established emotional relationship with patients and family members.
I initially “shadowed” oncology nurse educators and counselors in order to expand my knowledge base, but was also able to observe the empathy they each provided to patients. This display of compassion alone often decreased anxiety and improved mood in patients. As I began to independently work with individuals affected by cancer, I was in awe of the strength and fortitude with which so many faced the disease. Many were not aware of the gifts they exhibited because their lives had become so clouded by the moment to moment challenges of the illness and treatment; I often found my role to encompass helping them become more aware of what they already had to offer themselves. I aspired to show the same love and compassion I had witnessed in other LWC staff, and believe I was able to be truly “present” and supportive to patients and families this year in both the inpatient and outpatient setting.
Now that my year is coming to a close, I realize I have gained much more from this experience than I have given. I have learned many educational aspects with regards to cancer and treatment, I have become more therapeutically skilled, I have grown and evolved emotionally, but I have also become more confident in the gifts I have to offer others. As my graduation nears, I certainly hope my life’s path allows me to continue to provide this care on a professional level.
I want to end with a quote that sums up my personal perspective on my life, my work, and my time at Life with Cancer.
“Do your little bit of good where you are; its those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world”. ~Desmond Tutu
Darah Curran, MSW Candidate, Catholic University, School of Social Services
Tags: cancer genetics, cancer programs, new normal, oncology, oncology counselors, oncology nursing, support, survivorship, young adults with cancer
