Holly Inman treats every cancer patient like family
When Marika Klesic was diagnosed with breast cancer a year ago, she felt confident being treated by her employer, UI Hospitals & Clinics. When Klesic received incredible care from a nurse, she was grateful.
“Holly Inman is outstanding at taking care of all the details you don’t know you’ll need when starting out on this cancer journey,” says Klesic, an echocardiographer in pediatric cardiology. “She helped with FMLA paperwork, genetic test results, and answered every question I’ve ever had. Holly deserves recognition for her professionalism. I bet she doesn’t know how nice it’s been to have her as my advocate.”
Inman, RN, BSN, says she treats every patient as if they’re a family member. That care begins with the first meeting.
“I know that they are very worried and it’s really hard to absorb a lot of information,” says Inman, who works at the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center. “I try as hard as I can to answer everyone’s questions. When patients understand their care, it makes their treatment go much more smoothly.”
A long-term bond
Inman says the relationship that develops between a patient and cancer nurse is a close one.
“We become very close-knit during their treatments,” she says. “We help support them and answer their questions throughout their active treatment and continue to meet with them routinely once their treatment is complete. Our return visits range from weekly, to every few months, to once per year, depending on the situation.”
When their lives are turned upside down, patients want to talk about and focus on normal things like home life, pets, family members, and vacations.
Different specialties; same focus
Cancer nurses serve in many roles, including research, appointment scheduling, clinic care, and providing infusion therapy.
“Because we have a lot of specialties, you get a lot of individualized care to cancer,” says Inman. “Here at the cancer center, all patients receive comprehensive care under one roof.”
Inman says all the nurses work together as a team, checking on each other throughout their shifts.
“We know we can depend on our other nurses to help cover us and we know that our patients are getting the care that they need,” she says.
And during her time away from the cancer center? Well, you may just have seen Inman on campus.
“If you see somebody walking and reading at the same time—on the way to work or during lunch—that’s me,” she says. “I love to read and it’s how I can just kind of get out of my head and come back to work refreshed.”