Your Incredible Neighbors: GV woman earns prestigious nursing honor

Kathy Tobias’ caring manner may be easily noticed and graciously accepted by patients at the Arizona Cancer Center at UMC North, but with doctors dedicated to focusing on patients, one nurse’s caring and compassion might be overlooked.

But busy doctors do notice, and when UMC decided to take part in the national DAISY Award, which is given to honor extraordinary nurses, gynecology oncologist Dr. Setsuko Chambers nominated Tobias, a longtime Green Valley resident.

On Monday, before family, hospital administrators and medical staff, Tobias was the first nurse at UMC to be honored at an award ceremony. Founded in 2000 as a tribute to J. Patrick Barnes, a 33-year-old man who had a rare auto-immune disease, DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System.

Present for the award ceremony were Bonnie and Mark Barnes, who created the DAISY Award. Bonnie said the award is to honor “the incredible sensitivity” of nurses, whom she called “unsung heroes.”

Also present were Tobias’ daughter Jennifer, who is studying nursing at Pima College, her son Eric and son-in-law Graham Harrington, both of whom work in production at the Green Valley News.

UMC Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer Marty Enriquez said, “Kathy is the first winner of what will be a monthly award for UMC RNs. This award recognizes RNs who consistently demonstrate excellence through clinical expertise, extraordinary service and compassionate care and who are recognized as outstanding role models in the nursing community.”

An oncology nurse since 2000, Tobias says she graduated late in life. Her first nursing assignment was working with cancer patients, and that’s the specialty she chose to dedicate herself to.

“Once in oncology, I enjoyed the patients. I found cancer patients to be caring and grateful,” she said.

Tobias has an instinctive compassion and special sensibility with cancer patients because—more than being an oncology nurse—she is also a patient.

“I share with patients while they’re in treatment. They see I’m wearing a scarf… they know what it means in this environment… I walk in the shoes of my patients; I understand what they’re going through.”

She treats each patient as she wants to be treated and knows from within that it’s an exceptionally sensitive time in their lives.

“Each person who comes in is special… I want to help in every way I can… I give each patient all the education possible.”

A sixth sense tells Tobias when a patient has a question or a concern. “There’s a look; I can see they’re searching for something. I always give each patient the opportunity to speak.”

Chambers noticed such empathy and realized that Tobias’ collective patient care skills qualified as “exceptional” and was an ideal candidate for the DAISY Award.

“I’ve gone through my own experience. She feels I know how to relate. Dr. Chambers has high expectations of herself and her staff,” Tobias said.

She credits some of her skills and sensibilities to a nurse mentor she worked with during her first 30 days. She’s also been given the mentoring role guiding new nurses in their first 30 days treating cancer patients.

Asked what the greatest challenges are working day in, day out with patients who have cancer, Tobias said, “It’s when a patient is told that there is no further help… all the options have run out. There’s a team to help, but still it’s hard.”

Tastefully appointed and soothing as the new Fasseas UMC North cancer treatment center is, spending every workday in a cancer treatment center helping others while also going through treatment would seem overwhelming. Yet Tobias said, “Being treated in the same center where I work is OK... I have a deep faith and I truly enjoy people.”

Of precious lessons learned during her diagnosis with cancer she said, “It’s been a chance to get my life in order, to say ‘I’m sorry’… to say ‘I love you.’”

A sign in her car keeps her positive spirit in focus. It reads, “There isn’t anything that’s going to happen that you and I can’t handle together.”

Her advice to anyone going through cancer treatment is both spiritual and matter-of-fact. “Never give up hope” and “You’re your own best advocate; educate yourself. What you know gives you power.”

Ellen Sussman is a freelance writer in Green Valley. Contact her at ellen2414@cox.net