Merry and Bright: Bringing a Festive Air into the Oncology Space for the Holidays
In this episode of “The Vitals,” 2 health care professionals discuss how to safely celebrate the holidays in oncology units.
For this episode of “The Vitals,” we spoke with Christopher Zorn, clinic operations administrator of Winship Cancer Institute at Emory University, and Gianna Bayci, RN, of the University of Chicago Medicine, about how to foster a safe, yet festive, holiday environment in oncology clinics and floors.
The 2 experts discuss talking to patients about their approach to family gatherings, incorporating festive costumes into the oncology environment, and some favorite holiday memories from over the years.
“Flexibility and adaptability are key. Gathering around the holidays can [be] stressful during [the] best of times, and for those that are going through a cancer journey and are potentially immunocompromised, that stress is heightened even more...We advise our patients: ‘Do what you feel comfortable doing, you don’t have to force yourself to do anything extra, [and] it is okay to set up appropriate boundaries.’”
