Beaufort Memorial honors Infusion Center nurse with DAISY Award
From staff reports
A cancer diagnosis is an earth-shaking, heart-wrenching, scary thing, and it certainly shocked Beaufort fifth-grade teacher Jill Scheper when she found out she had to complete 16 rounds of chemotherapy last year.
“I thought my life was over,” she said. “It felt like it was the end of the world.”
When Jill arrived at the Keyserling Cancer Center in Beaufort to begin her treatments, she could barely see as tears streamed down her face.
Then she met Annie Loughlin, a nurse who floored Jill with her kindness, professionalism and positivity. Those qualities earned Annie a prestigious DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses on Feb. 3 at a small surprise ceremony in the Infusion Center.
Annie’s matter of fact, knowledgeable manner put Jill at ease, and she never shied away from answering any of Jill’s questions – and there were many, Jill said.
“Her knowledge in the oncology field is impressive,” Jill said. “She took the time to explain everything to me. It made me think, ‘OK, I can do this.’”
Chemotherapy takes a serious toll physically and emotionally, and there were moments where Jill considered quitting, but Annie’s positivity and encouragement, however, kept her from giving up.
“She was just a teacher in that sense, and a coach,” Jill said. “She told me, ‘Keep fighting for your family.’”
Annie’s manager, Michelle Talley, RN, also called her a “teacher.”
“The compassion and excellent care she provides to her patients every day is profound,” Michelle said. “Annie is a team player and advocates for her patients and will always find a way to teach them, no matter their level of education.”
Annie even expertly navigated Jill through using a cooling cap during her treatments, which allowed her to keep most of her hair.
“She saved my hair,” Jill said. “She put the cold cap on every time, which is so labor-intensive and needs to be monitored. I kept a lot of my hair, and the hair I did lose is growing back.”
Annie was Jill’s nurse throughout her 16 rounds of chemotherapy treatment and the subsequent infusions as well. They became close friends – and after Jill met Annie the first time, realized that they were neighbors as well, with Annie living just down the street from the Schepers.
Her knowledge and kindness during a “horrible” time in Jill’s life shows not only her dedication to her patients and the field of nursing, but the sheer power and lasting impact of a friendly face and a caring hand.
“This means a lot to me and I couldn’t do it without my team. It really is a joint effort,” Annie said following the ceremony Monday. “I’m very honored and overwhelmed.”
Jill said that Annie made her feel seen, and like she was never alone.
“She’s loving, inspirational and professional, and all of those things blended together just make her a phenomenal nurse,” Jill said. “She’s an earth angel.”
Developed in 1999 by a Seattle couple to honor the nurses who took care of their dying son, the DAISY Award has since been adopted by health care facilities all over the world.
Anyone can nominate a Beaufort Memorial nurse for the honor. Applications are available throughout the hospital and at BeaufortMemorial.org/DAISY.
