Dr. Sara Tolaney

Three colleagues of oncology nurse Deborah Diprete recognized her potential as an extraordinary healer. 

Deborah DiPrete, RN, epitomizes the essence of a phenomenal oncology infusion nurse through her unwavering dedication, exceptional care and genuine compassion for her patients. Her commitment extends far beyond administering treatments; she embodies the true essence of patient advocacy and holistic care.

Deborah's exceptional quality lies in her genuine concern for each patient's well-being. Her compassionate nature transcends conventional nursing duties. She invests time to truly understand her patients, ensuring their physical and emotional needs are met. Her dedication is palpable in the seamless coordination of comprehensive care, from infusion treatments to post-infusion support.

What distinguishes Deborah is her remarkable teamwork and collaboration. She transcends boundaries by actively engaging with the entire care team. Her willingness to walk over from the infusion area to discuss cases exemplifies her commitment to comprehensive patient care. Her tireless efforts in communicating and coordinating care plans demonstrate her proactive approach in ensuring patients receive optimal support.

Deborah's thoughtfulness extends to the minutest details, ensuring patients are comfortable throughout their treatment journey. Her proactive nature is evident in anticipating and addressing potential challenges, going above and beyond to ensure patients feel supported and cared for. Having personally experienced Deborah's exceptional care when caring for my mother-in-law, her impact is profound. She orchestrates a symphony of care, liaising with various specialists, ensuring families are informed and alleviating concerns through her unwavering support.

In essence, Deborah DiPreteisn't just an oncology infusion nurse: she is a beacon of compassion and excellence in the healthcare realm. Her dedication, empathy and comprehensive approach define her as a truly exceptional caregiver, leaving an indelible mark on the lives of those she touches.

An Experienced, Compassionate, Incredible Leader

Deborah (Deb) DiPrete, RN, is an absolutely wonderful oncology infusion nurse and leader in our Dana-Farber Cancer Institute program. She is calm, collected, respectful, organized, kind, compassionate and is always willing to go the extra mile (or the extra 100 miles) to get patients what they need and to support her fellow nurses and doctors as she does so.

She often serves as “charge” nurse on our infusion floor and is the one receiving all triage requests and needs. In this role, she is so committed to accommodating the patient and care team. She understands the importance of this, the desire to keep patients out of the emergency room whenever possible and is always creative about making this happen.

She is one of our most experienced infusion nurses and is a constant resource for all of us when it comes to treatment-related issues and patient care. She is known to mentor formally and informally most/many of the nurses on the floor and is the go-to nurse when it comes to managing reactions, understanding options for patient triage and accommodating our patients’ needs.

Our patients also seek her out, consistently requesting her presence or care as they are receiving treatments for their cancers.

Deb is an outstanding communicator as well, facilitating interactions with the care team whenever possible. She will often come over to our provider workroom to discuss a challenging patient situation, to troubleshoot how we might address it, and to come up with a solution.

These attributes, coupled with her unparalleled clinical acumen and kind nature, make her an unstoppable nurse and nurse leader. We are so lucky to have Deb advocating for and treating our patients.

I would like to nominate Deborah Diprete, RN, for the 2024 CURE Extraordinary Healer award. I am a breast medical oncologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) in Boston and have worked with Deb in her role as a senior infusion nurse for the past 20 years.

Our oncology group specializes in the care of young women with breast cancer, and Deb and I have shared many very young patients over the years, often young mothers struggling with the need to care for their breast cancer and care for their families.

Deb exudes immense confidence and deep compassion for our patients. She immediately puts patients at ease, caring for our young women as if they were her own friends or family. She is especially sensitive to the unique needs of our youngest patients, often anticipating their worries or concerns and coordinating the multidisciplinary care they need for optimal clinical and psychosocial outcomes. If a patient is struggling in any way, she always finds me to talk about how to provide the best support and care for them.

Sometimes receiving chemotherapy can be quite scary, especially if there is an infusion reaction or other unexpected event. Deb always remains calm and confident, providing immense emotional support for our patients while also leading the effort to resolve the events as soon as possible. Patients feel enormous trust in Deb and her guidance.

She also mentors new infusion nurses at DFCI, and I am so grateful that they are being trained by a master clinician in the best possible care for patients with cancer. The field of breast oncology has evolved considerably over the past years, with many new treatments entering our portfolio, and Deb is always up to date on the most cutting-edge therapies, often sharing with me her impression of tolerability and toxicity from our newest agents. I have so much I learn from Deb, and I share this information when I am teaching MD providers about the care of patients with breast cancer. In Deb’s book, the patients always come first, and she will always go the extra mile to help them do their best.

Medical oncology depends tremendously on teamwork and having the best players on your team to care for our patients. Deb is an extraordinary teammate, and I am so lucky to be on the team with her.

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Articles

Deborah DiPrete, RN, exemplifies exceptional oncology infusion nursing through her dedication, compassion, and patient advocacy. Her holistic approach ensures comprehensive care, addressing both physical and emotional needs. She excels in teamwork, actively engaging with care teams to optimize patient support. As a charge nurse, she skillfully manages triage and mentors colleagues, enhancing patient care and team dynamics. Her ability to anticipate patient needs and provide emotional support during challenging treatments fosters trust and confidence. Deborah's leadership and clinical acumen make her an invaluable asset to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

An oncology nurse from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute exudes the definition of an extraordinary healer, according to three colleagues. 

An Oncology Nurse Who Goes Above and Beyond 

dedicated her career to advancing quality of life and outcomes for patients with metastatic breast cancer. She is the director of the metastatic breast cancer program at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and is the founder and director of the EMBRACE (Ending Metastatic Breast Cancer for Everyone) program for patients with metastatic breast cancer. She also directs a program for patients with breast cancer-related brain metastases. She has wanted to help patients navigate living with metastatic disease better; she created a regular forum for patients with metastatic disease that provides information on art therapy options, advice on coping with the disease, sharing information with children and more. She has also created a system to share tumor genomic information back to the patient and with any local oncology providers, letting them know about possible treatment options. She has a group of EMBRACE coordinators who meet with our patients with metastatic breast cancer in clinic and help connect them to any services they may need and to any clinical trials they may be eligible for by coordinating any necessary prescreening or referrals. Additionally, she built a database to track all patients with metastatic breast cancer over time, with the goal of being able to ask important questions about treatment outcomes in the metastatic setting.

Beyond this, Nancy is a compassionate provider who is loved by her patients. She goes out of her way to make sure each patient receives the best cancer care possible. She gets numerous referrals from our local community oncologists but also from oncologists across the country. She helped create a tumor board specifically for patients with breast cancer-related brain metastases that she oversees, and oversees a robust portfolio of brain metastases trials. Patients often travel from all over the country to see her for evaluation and consideration for these studies.

Her dedication and passion toward improving the lives of patients with metastatic breast cancer is unparalleled and I can think of no one more deserving of this award.

Dr. Nancy U. Lin dedicated her life to improving outcomes for patients with metastatic breast cancer. In this essay, a colleague honors her hard work.

Dr. Sara Tolaney

An Oncology Nurse Who Goes Above and Beyond

Advancing Outcomes and Quality of Life for Patients With Metastatic Cancer

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