How oncology nurse Kristin Darragh comforts and cares for patients during some of their darkest days—and teaches others.
Oncology nurse Kristin Darragh on HSC Winnipeg’s GD-6 Unit: “It is important to welcome each patient, whether it was a planned admission or not. I prioritize looking at the patient when they arrive—just to see them and understand what is going on.”
No one wants to call HSC Winnipeg’s GD-6 unit their home-away-from-home—except for Kristin Darragh, CRN, RN, BN, CONC(C), and the unit’s compassionate staff.
From the moment Darragh stepped onto GD-6 19 years ago during her senior practicum, she discovered not just a profession, but a profound purpose: she knew this was where she needed to be. Initially interested in palliative care nursing, Darragh was ultimately drawn to GD-6—a 15-bed unit that cares for patients with acute leukemia, as well as those undergoing stem cell and bone marrow transplants—because of the unit’s unique patient population (including her uncle who received care there); the type of care the team provides; and the need to consistently learn and grow.
On GD-6, Kristin Darragh always takes the time to meet every patient.
“Sometimes, people are going for pre-operation bloodwork, and they learn that they have leukemia. Or patients visit their doctor because they noticed they were getting tired simply climbing the stairs—or have an infection that won’t clear, and they discover leukemia,” says Darragh. “Patients pack just an overnight bag, not knowing they will be at HSC for a month or longer. And sometimes, patients can learn that they have days—even hours—left to live.”
That is when Darragh and the dedicated staff on GD-6 come in.
“It is important to welcome each patient, whether it was a planned admission or not. I prioritize looking at the patient when they arrive—just to see them and understand what is going on. If a patient’s appearance drastically changes in a short period of time, I know something is wrong,” says Darragh.
It’s no surprise that Darragh, who, on top of a Bachelor of Nursing degree, also holds degrees in Physical Education and Recreation Studies, is passionate about continuing education—and having the opportunity to share her knowledge.
Kristin Darragh graduated with her Bachelor of Nursing in 2005 and has been a nurse on HSC’s GD-6 Unit ever since.
In 2023, Darragh—supported by the HSC Foundation’s donor-funded Dale Rayter GD-6 Nursing Education Fund—attended a major conference addressing key issues in oncology nursing.
“I can’t express how grateful I am to the donors to the Dale Rayter GD-6 Nursing Education Fund,” says Darragh, who conducted a lunch-and-learn session with her colleagues upon her return from the conference. “Learning is key. We want to keep raising the bar and delivering increasingly better patient care.”
Darragh and her team are indeed raising the bar—both in terms of their technical expertise and in how they care for their patients. Just one example of this is implementing CAR-T therapy, short for Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell therapy—a groundbreaking, life-saving form of immunotherapy, to Manitoba.
Darragh immediately thinks of her interactions with patients when asked about memorable moments in her career. She remembers one young lady, in particular, whose blood pressure was so low that she couldn’t talk.
“I knew she could hear me. I kept saying ‘You’re not alone. We are here. We’ve got you.’; when she was better, she told me that she heard me, and she felt safe,” says Darragh.
Another memory was a middle-of-the-night talk with a very sick patient in sepsis. “He was worried he wouldn’t make it through the night. I kept saying ‘No, that is not the plan. We are getting you through this night. You will wake up in the morning.’ Years later, he told me that got him through his darkest time.”
No moment can top the elation Darragh feels when she sees a patient exit through the doors on GD-6. “The biggest reward is seeing a patient leaving through the unit’s doors. They are in remission; they are going home.”
Kristin Darragh: “The biggest reward is seeing a patient leaving through the unit’s doors. They are in remission; they are going home.”
National Nursing Week is May 6–12, 2024, and this year’s theme is Changing Lives. Shaping Tomorrow. On top of changing—and saving—lives, Darragh is making great strides in shaping tomorrow with her educational influence on the nursing profession. While no one wants their loved one to need GD-6, we are honoured to have the compassionate care of Kristin Darragh and the team.
To honour a nurse at HSC this National Nursing Week, please make a gift in their name here or call 204-515-5612 or 1-800-679-8493 (toll-free).
By Natasha Havrilenko
