An exclusive interview

The joy, fight, and passion of being an oncology nurse

My passion is caring for patients as a general cancer nurse, really, from my truest soul and deep heart. I love working with cancer patients because you see each other sometimes more than you see your relatives. You really spend a lot of time together, and thanks to that you know each other so well and you can really individualize care. You’re able to laugh together, talk about children and grandchildren, cooking, even discuss serious questions around death or dying. Meanwhile, your patient is undergoing their treatment, and your engine is when the patient enters the ward and says, “Michaela, I'm so glad you’re here today.” That’s probably the biggest motivation for me, to be ready to fight the biggest fight of their life with them. I admire them because their situation is very hard. They can't speak with their relatives, and you can be their soulmate because their relatives are afraid to speak with them about their disease, to not make them cry. They’re also afraid to speak with them about common things because they know they can't enjoy common things, or join them at a party or whatever. You can really be their - not only nurse but soulmate and friend.

Michaela Popelková has been a nurse for over a decade. She earned a degree in general medicine in 2011 and a bachelor’s in general nursing in 2013 from Charles University in the Czech Republic. She worked in a social welfare department for war veterans as a nurse and a private urology clinic as an assistant chief physician, before climbing the ranks at Motol University Hospital to unit manager and charge nurse. She joined the European Cancer Nursing Society in 2018 and served as the Czech Republic representative on the Young Cancer Nurses Network. She relocated to the states and lives in North Carolina with her family, and continues to volunteer as co-chair of the Young Cancer Nurses Network as she pursues U.S. certification.

PLUS: Hear from RN Hamza Chehade about his diverse nursing experience and work as a corporate trainer.

Hamza Chehade, RN, M.Sc, B.Sc, MBA, has a bachelor’s in nursing science and a master’s in medical surgical nursing. He’s worked as a registered nurse in the emergency, intensive care, and critical care units, a university lecturer, research committee member, and staff development coordinator. He is currently a corporate trainer and AHA Life Support Instructor at Response Plus Medical RPM, where he leads training and development for medical and nonmedical staff in prehospital settings. He represented the Lebanese Nurse Educators in the ICN Regional Conference in 2018, and has published research on the “Effect of Educational Intervention on Knowledge, Self-Care Behaviors and Quality of Life among Patients with Chronic Heart Failure.”

NurseDeck’s Insider’s Perspective magazine is a 100% free publication established to spread awareness and build valuable connections with the nursing community. We do not work with advertisers.