Inside Duke Medicine
Meet a Great Nurse: Caryl Fulcher
posted August 11th, 2010Caryl Fulcher, RN, MSN, a clinical nurse specialist in oncology, is one of nine DUHS nurses named a Great 100.
Caryl has a unique role as a clinical nurse specialist because she has a background in psychiatry and mental health.
"The aspect that I am most concerned about with my oncology patients is how they are doing emotionally and how they are coping with their diagnosis and their treatment," she says.
She gets referrals from other nurses and team members to see patients and families who are having difficulty dealing with their diagnosis or treatment.
Caryl says this type of care is becoming more prominent. "There is more and more evidence that cancer patients need and want this kind of speciality," she said.
Caryl finds that cancer patients, who could understandably be sad or unhappy, are often "inspirational."
"I enjoy the opportunity to work with the patients for a long time," she says. "Patients on the ninth floor are often here for a long time, so I get to know them and their families."
"I feel like I have a wonderful job," she says.
Read more about the other eight DUHS nurses named to the Great 100 Nurses in North Carolina.