Caring & Healing

By Monica Reiter-Wong, RN, and Vivian Badami, RN

When a diagnosis of Primary Immune Deficiency is made, it can be devastating for the patient as well as the family. Have you ever wondered who cares for them once the diagnosis is established? Nurses are an important element in assisting patients in dealing with their illness.

There are over 70 disorders that affect the immune system. They are present in people of all ages, races, and religions; They do not discriminate. In our practice, we care for people from 3 months to 80 years of age. It is a diverse group of individuals. Individual is the keyword. When a person is told that they have a chronic illness, they want to know about their medical condition, how their disease affects them physically, and how it will affect their lifestyle. They need to know what their medications are for and how they work. There are times when a patient needs specific medical information, and there are times when they simply need a shoulder to cry on. As nurses, we care for the physical, the spiritual, and the emotional well being of every patient as well as their families.

Our busiest area is the Immunotherapy Group, where about 100 patients a month come for infusions of intravenous gammaglobulin. They may come as frequently as once a week or once a month. Since each infusion can take from two to eight hours, we get to know the patients quite well. As the patient develops confidence in the nursing staff, rapport is established. This rapport supports the patients through subsequent health challenges. It is this rapport that makes our practice a special place.

Nursing has been called "The Art of Caring" and "The Healing Arts." The word itself has its roots in the Latin word meaning "to nourish" and "to nurture." The basic concept of nursing stands for "the building and sustaining of health and strength, and training and education in the prevention of disease" (Lavinia Dock, RN, A Short History of Nursing, 1991). These are the ideals that we strive for in caring for patients with Primary Immune Deficiency.

It is a team effort, with patient, families, and staff working together to improve the health and quality of life for the patients with immune deficiencies. We have the good fortune of working with the best, brightest, and most caring physicians in the field.

(The Jeffrey Modell Division of Clinical Immunology at the Mount Sinai Medical Center includes: Vivian Badami, RN, Sarah Martin, RN, Monica Reiter-Wong, RN and Marilyn Guichardo, Medical Technician).

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JMF UPDATE is published by the Jeffrey Modell Foundation, Inc., A non-profit Research Foundation. The mission of the JMF includes Research, Physician Education, Patient Support, and Public Awareness. Address all inquiries to the Jeffrey Modell Foundation, Inc., 43 West 47th Street, New York, NY 10036 or call (212) 575-1122. Copyright 2002, The Jeffrey Modell Foundation. All rights reserved.