The New York Proton Center is proud to recognize our nurses in celebration of National Nurses Week (May 6 to May 12).
The entire week – beginning on May 6 and concluding on May 12, International Nurses Day and the birthday of Florence Nightingale, founder of modern nursing – is a chance to share our appreciation for the tireless work and contributions of nurses across the country.
Our nurses here at the New York Proton Center bring a compassionate, personal touch to medical care and advocate for our patients through all phases of treatment. Every day, they go above and beyond for our patients, all under the leadership of the inimitable Vicki Browne, BSN, RN, OCN, NYPC’s Nurse Manager.
This year, we want to share the stories of two of NYPC’s outstanding nurses. Our entire nursing team is truly second to none, and we celebrate their work and commitment to our patients every day.
Astrid Amoresano, RN
Astrid became a nurse out of her passion to support the well-being of people. She started her career at a nursing school in Germany, where she quickly learned the skills of the trade and received her nursing license. After nursing school, she stayed in Germany and worked for four years as a cardiology nurse.
Then, life brought her to the United States. In her first three years here, she applied her warm demeanor to work with adults with developmental differences. Astrid tells us this experience was “life-changing” and only strengthened her desire to work with people in a more personal setting.
Using the skills she gained in the U.S., Astrid returned to Germany where she pursued oncology nursing and practiced as a chemotherapy infusion nurse for patients battling hematological cancer. Her time abroad made her reconsider her life plans and inspired her to return to the U.S. and receive her license in March 2020 at the height of the pandemic in New York City.
With her robust experience in cancer care, Astrid quickly found a home at NYPC. She applied her oncology knowledge to learning the field of radiation oncology and how to tailor care for radiation therapy patients. She found a home in the wonderful team and welcoming culture of the proton center and quickly became an integral member of the NYPC family.
Karen Kirby, RN, BSN, MEDSURG-BC
Karen grew up with nursing in her blood. Most of the women on her father’s side were nurses, so naturally, she gravitated toward the profession.
Early in her career, Karen landed a job at the Brooklyn Hospital Network, where she was selected to work in the oncology unit. On her first day, her colleagues warned her about the unit’s reputation for tough work.
“While I was at orientation, employees from several departments stated at different times ‘Oh goodness. They are going to eat you alive,’” she tells us. “I wondered what I got myself into.”
But she quickly realized that while the work may not be for everyone, it definitely was for her.
Seventeen years later, she says she truly enjoyed being a Medical Oncology nurse and appreciates the bedside skills that she acquired during her time in that field.
Karen has been with NYPC for the last three years, and she says her transition from Medical Oncology to Radiation Oncology has been wonderful. She says her time at NYPC has allowed her to be even more hands-on with patients and to be a teacher to her colleagues.
Astrid and Karen are both invaluable members of NYPC’s nursing team. This week, and every week, we celebrate their contributions and commitments to their team members, patients and the NYPC mission.
Thank you to all of our nurses and to nurses everywhere for all that you do. Happy National Nurses Week!
